The Unwanted
by Lona Striker
Summary: Reanna lives a double life as bounty hunter-in-training, and a seventeen-year-old trying to get into medical school. While doing a favour for her older sister she is captured by space pirates and sold into slavery. She is terrified about what kind of life awaits her with her new master. Then suddenly, her master decides to give her to the third most powerful man in the galaxy.
1. Chapter 1 Captured

"Very good, Reanna!" Ronald Cals encouraged his student. "If you do half as well out on the field as you do in training, you'll soon rise to the top as one of the best in no time."

"Thanks Cal. I do my best." Reanna blushed at his compliments. "I'd better be going before my parents start wondering where I spend my time. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Remember, four-o-clock sharp."

"See you tomorrow." Reanna pushed the doors to the gym open and began walking down the street.

"Hey, Reanna! Wait up!" Reanna's best friend Miranda called. Reanna stopped and turned to wait for her friend. "Reanna, is it true that Cal is going to give you your liscence?"

"I recieve it in two weeks," Reanna felt another blush creep up her cheeks. "And then, I'm as good as gone from this planet as soon as I can get a ship. And I have my eye on just the one."

"How do you think your family will react when they find out?"

"No worse than how they reacted when they found out Mianna was going to join." Reanna shrugged. "I don't really want to talk about it, Miranda. Can we talk about something that doesn't involve my family or what they think I'm going to do, and what I am really going to do?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, something like you owe me money and I would like you to pay me in the very near future. Something like that."

"I owe you money?" Miranda asked in surprise.

"Yeah, about three hundred credits."

"Since when?"

"Since you borrowed money to buy yourself a new delux speeder. How did that work out for you, by the way?"

"It worked out just fine. I even made a few of my co-workers jealous," Miranda couldn't help but brag a little. "I'll have the money for you in two days."  
"Great!" Reanna stopped to wait for the airbus to arrive. "You can give it to me after I'm done training."

"Are you calling in all the money debts you have?" Miranda wanted to know.

"Being a waitress doesn't bring in enough money to buy a whole ship," Reanna looked at her watch. "What time does your watch say?"

"Just passed eight. Why?"

"I promised Mianna I'd take her to the moon this morning. I think she's going to join the rebellion and doesn't want Mom or Dad asking any questions on what she's doing. And Hope is pregnant, so that leaves me to take her."

"Are you sure you sould do that?" Miranda asked as the airbus pulled up. "I mean, you stay up late studying for an exam you aren't even going to take, then get up in the wee hours of the morning to train, and to keep your family from suspecting what you're doing you stay up all day working and start all over again. I'm no doctor, but I'm sure that you are not living healthy."

"Don't worry," Reanna assured her friend. "As soon as I have my liscence, I'll take a good, long rest. Speaking of rest, wake me up when we get to my stop."

"No problem."

"You're the best."

(^)

"Where've you been?" were the first words that greeted Reanna as she stepped into the house. "I have to be at the moon by lunch time and we still have to prep my ship!"

"We?" Reanna opened the fridge and grabbed a jug of fruit juice. "I only said I would take you to the moon. I never said I wouold help you prep the hunk of junk you call a ship. If it needs to be prepped, you have to do it yourself."

"And people say you're terrible in politics," Mianna grumbled as she began leaving to prep her ship. "If they had to live with you, they would elect you as senator."

"I wouldn't last two days in that office," Reanna took out one of her many medical books. "What do you think about Cyern? I hear they have a great medical school."

"I think there is a great school here on Ondo and you should go to that. Costs way less."

"I'll think about it."

Mianna didn't respond as she left the room. In all honesty, she didn't really care where her sister went to get her doctors liscence. All she cared about, at the moment, was reaching the base without any trouble.

"Reanna, aren't you supposed to be wroking today?" Mrs. Starfield walked in reading one of her many fashion panflits. "Just sitting around studying isn't going to get you into the school here. You have to have to work to get what you want in life."

"It's my day off today and I'm taking Mianna to the moon. Also, I believe we've discussed how I am not going to the school here."

"It's a lot cheaper."

"And the course here is one of the worst. I've been looking into other schools and I think I might apply at the one on Cyern. It's a beautiful planet, course is great, the cost for housing is moderate, and the jobs pay better there than they do here."

"It's also on the other side of the galaxy," Hope entered the room and conversation. "You probably wouldn't be able to visit that often."

"But at least I would have my liscence."

"I think I agree with your mother and sister on this one." Mr. Starfield entered. "It's expensive and far away. It wouldn't be worth it to go there."

"Is everyone going to tell me what a terrible idea this is?" Reanna didn't hide her frustration. "It wouldn't be forever! It would just be for a few years and I could get a job so I could visit."

"Why don't you guys leave her alone," Desmond, Hope's husband, entered. "Nothing is certain and since she's paying for it, it's only fair that she gets to choose which school she goes to."

Reanna nodded her thanks to Desmond and nearly smiled at the private wink he gave her. Desmond was like her older brother, and was one of the only ones who knew what Reanna planned to do, and had paid for half of her training.

"Reanna, are you ready to go?" Mianna re-entered the room. "I've got the ship prepped and if we don't leave now, we'll be late!"

"Right." Reanna shoved the jug of juice into Desmond's hands and followed her sister out to the family's private hanger.

"Be back in time for curfew!" She heard her mother call after them.

"I'll be back in time for supper." Reanna promised.

Little did she realize that her life was about to be changed drascticly and she would never have supper with her family ever again.

(^)

"So, you're going to join?" Reanna tried to make conversation as Mianna flew her ship towards the moon.

"Is it that odvious?"

"You've been talking nonstop about it since you saw that recruiting video on the holonet, then you were making late night calls to someone annonymous, and now you want me to take you to the moon for a meeting. It's not that hard to put two and two together."

"Don't you dare tell Mom or Dad about this!" Mianna warned. "If they even get slightly suspicious about it, I'm going to blame you!"

"No worries," Reanna leaned back into her seat. "Mom and Dad already know. Didn't you find it odd that they didn't once ask why you were going to the moon?"

"They know?"

"They've known for months now, after they listened in on one of your late might calls."

"They listened in?"

"They thought it was a boyfriend."

"Reanna, just stop!" Mianna cut her sister off. "I've always known you were annoying, but right now I'm about ready to throw you out of the ship!"

"You'd have to pay for my funeral."

"Just shut up!"

Reanna stood up and walked out of the cockpit. The sisters had never gotten along and it was getting to the point where they couldn't see eachother without fighting about something, whether it was about how to cook a certain meal or whether it was about politics.

"I can't wait to leave this systom." Reanna said quietly to herself. "As soon as I get my liscence, I'm gone and making good reputation for myself."

She looked up at the clock and groaned whn she saw it would take three hour to get to their destination, and she wasn't sure she could spend that much time in her older sister's company without going crazy.

Time went by slowly and when they got to the moon, Reanna had never felt more relieved. She could tolerate her sister for the most part, but stuck on the same ship for three hours, with no one else to talk to was pushing it.

"Do you see a freighter ship anywhere?" Mianna asked as she scanned the rocky surface. "They said they would be waiting on the north side."

"I think I see them over there," Reanna pointed. "I think they've seen us, what do you want me to do?"

"Just sit here and as soon as you hear me leave, fly back to Ondo as if nothing happened."

"In my mind nothing has happened."

Mianna nodded stiffly and left the cockpit. It wasn't long before Reanna heard the sound of the emergency door opening and closing and saw her sister going over to the ship. She saw her sister enter, then the ship took off, and Reanna breathed a sigh of relief.

"Time to go home." Reanna lifted the ship off.

Halfway back to Ondo, everything was running smoothly when a ship suddenly apeareed infront of her and began firing at her. She tried manuvering her ship to a better defense position, but, as she had said before, it was a peice of junk and her engines were soon disabled.

The ship flew towards her and she did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed her blaster and headed towards the narrow hall.

If she was going to be taken by pirates, then she wouldn't go down without a fight!

Thanks for reading! Please R&R!


	2. Chapter 2 A Slaveowner

Kade ran a hand through his hair as he listened to the politicians, he was transporting, argue back and fourth about whether they should go to war with the new rebellion or try to negociate peacefully. It was a war zone.

"Master Kade, what are your thoughts on this matter?" One of the female politicians asked him. "Should we go to war?"

"I'll keep my oppinion to myself for now. This decision is for you all to make individually. There is no pressure from me to vote one way or the other. Just remember that the fate of the galaxy is in your hands. Make the wrong decision and the empire will fall."

"At this point," the most annoying politician ever entered the conversation. "the only right decision is to crush the rebellion while it is small and insagnificant enough not to have that much effect on how people think."

"If a rebellion, no matter how small, is mercilessly slaughtered the reaction would be for even more people to start even more rebellions. And if we crushed those, it would become a cycle continuing until the fall of the empire." One of the more levelheaded politicians said quietly.

Many of the politicians nodded in agreement and came up with other reasons on why it was a bad idea to go to war with the rebellion. Kade sat back and phased out as the politicains go back and fourth about the issue.

"Master Kade!" one of the male politicians said loudy to get his attention. "What would your supieriors think about all this?"

"I can't speak for them, but right now I think it is time for lunch. The meeting will be adjourned for now and will be continued tomorrow."

Everyone seemed to find this agreeable and slowly filed out of the room. Kade watched as the last of the politicians left the room and let out a sigh of relief. He had never been one to keep the company of politicians and spending a whole week in their company was trying.

Kade was just about to get up and leave th room when the door opened and the annoying politician stepped in.

"Master Kade, may I please speak with you?"

"I'll give you until I reach my quarters Senator Rackon." Kade said as he stood up and started out the door. "But that is all the time you have for the rest of the journey."

"Well, you see sir, your oppinion is highly respected and if you just hinted that you would prefer to destroy the rebellion, I'm sure that the vote would be unanamous!"

"Rackon, there is nothing you can say to make me make my oppinion known."

"But Master Kade! Surely you must see that it is imparative that we-"

"Senator Rackon, if you continue to try and persuad me to tell the others what to vote, I will have you locked up until we reach our destination." Kade said firmly.

Rackon stopped and watched Kade disappear into his quarters. He had hoped that he would be able to convince Master Kade just by talking to him, but now he decided to take another course of action. A course of action that would surely get Master Kade's attention.

(^)

Reanna was terrified as she sat in a dark room waiting for something to happen. Anything, even if it was something bad.

She was tired, cold, and hungry. She didn't know how long she had been there or where she was. All she knew was that she had been sold in an auction, her owner looked at her the wrong way, and she was dressed in one of the skimpiest outfits ever!

_Clang!_ The door was suddenly thrown open and two big guards came through the door and grabbed her arms before she could even move.

_Still not taking any chances with me, I see_. She thought to herself as they dragged her out of the room. _I wonder, what's going to happen to me now? Maybe it's better not to know._

Reanna felt her heart beginning to race as they led her through her owners living quarters, and was shocked when they took her out into the halls.

_What's happening?_ Fear began to well up in her. _Where are we going?_

Her question was soon answered.

They lead her through a set of doors into a conference room where two men were arguing. It didn't take long before she realized they were arguing about her.

"Rackon, this is too far!" the one sitting down said. "To know I said no and then go ahead and try to bribe me with a slavegirl? I have no chioce but to confine you to your quarters."

"You misunderstand," Rackon glanced towards Reanna. "I mean to give her to you as a peace offering. I promise you there are no strings attatched."

"I'm sorry." The man sitting down ran a hand through his spikey, brown hair.

"Very well," Rackon turned to Reanna with a look of lust and motioned to his guards. "Take her back to my chambers. I'll be along shortly."

_Please don't let them take me! Please don't let them take me! _Reanna silently pleaded. _Help me! Please just help me!_

She felt the guards pull her towards the door and threw what she meant to be a glance over her shoulder. Her eyes met the man's soft brown eyes, and she pleaded silently that he would do something about what was going to happen to her.

The guards had nearly dragged her from the room when the man stood up.

"Wait," he said calmly in his deep voice. "On second thought, I'll take her. Give me the papers and have her taken up to my quarters."

Rackon tried to appear pleased, but there was a hint of annoyance in his voice and expression when he spoke.

"Of course, though I should warn you, she has only been a slave for a short while and has a lot of fire in her. I heard when they captured her, she injured a few of the men severely."

"I think I can handle her."

"Take her up to his chambers," Rackon motioned to his guards. "And make sure you lock the doors after yourselves. We wouldn't want her to escape."

Reanna shot the iciest look she could at Rackon as the guards lead her from the room and through the many halls of the ship she was on.

As they went on, there was less and less personnel around until there was no one around but her and the two guards. Ideas of escape raced through her mind as she scanned her surroundings, but she soon realized that even if she overpowered the guards, she would still have to get off the ship without getting caught and being dressed as she was, it wouldn't take long for someone to catch her.

She had just decided to take the risk when the guards stopped and opened a door. She didn't have any time to react before they harshly threw her inside. When she looked up, the door was closed and she was stuck in a man's quarters.

"Don't panic," she reminded herself softly. "First things first. Look for any possible ways of escape."

Reanna stood up and started to search for any flaw in security, but it seemed like her new owner had never overlooked possible entrances.

Finally, discouraged and alone, Reanna dropped onto one of the black leather couches and, for the first time since she had been captured, cried.

(^)

Meanwhile, Kade was mentally kicking himself for accepting Senator Rackon's "gift", even if the girl had been in serious trouble. Now the senator probably figured he could ask any favor of Kade and get what he wanted.

"Why? Why? Why?" he asked himself. "Why in the galaxy did I accept?"

"Sir? Are you feeling well?" the admiral asked him. "If you would like to retire for the rest of the day I can handle things."

"No!" Kade said with much more speed and feeling than he had intended. "No, I'm quite all right. Let's just get this ship to Coruscant as fast as we can. I'm sick of all these politicians on my ship. What is the current ETA?"

"Three hours, sir."

Kade nodded and began to busy himself with his duties around the ship. Anything to get his mind of the girl in his quarters, and her deep, ice blue eyes.

A few hours later saw the arrival to Coruscant and the disembark of all the annoying politicians.

Kade hoped he wouldn't have to report to his surpierior, but wasn't crossing his fingures. Reporting to Lord Rane meant seeing Lord Rane's daughter and, while she wasn't a spoiled brat, she had it in her head that she was in love with Kade and usually made it diffacult for Kade to get through his report and leave.

"Sir, where do we set course for next?" The admiral wanted to know.

"For now, let's just wait a little and restock any supplies we might need."

"Yes, sir."

Kade had barely gone two feet when his comlink started buzzing. He took it off his belt and nearly groaned when he saw the Id belonged to his surperier.

"Yes?" He answered.

"Have you set coordinates yet?" Lord Rane's voice came over the com.

"No, I was waiting to see if I needed to give you a report. Why?"

"There's a small group of smugglers that needs to be taken care of in the Raxorn sector." Lord Rane assigned him a mission.

"I thought the plan for me was to transport all the politicians to Coruscant?"

"I think you've had enough of politicians to last a lifetime. We'll send the _Justice _to handle them."

"Yes sir. Is that all?"

"You might want to get going as soon as you can before Anna realizes you're here. Otherwise, I'd be forced to give you a dinner invitation and though I wouldn't mind, I'm sure you're stressed out from having to listen to all those politicians argue all the time."

"Thank-you sir. I'll have the coordinates set immediately. Over and out." Kade severed the transmission.

"Your orders, sir?" The admiral was suddenly standing right beside Kade.

"Set course for the Raxorn sector. We need to deal with some smugglers."

(^)

_Clank!_ Reanna was jerked from her sleep at the sound of dishes clanking against each other. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, but the sleepless nights had caught up with her before she knew what was happening.

_How long have I been asleep?_ She wondered. _Where in the galaxy am I?_

She sat up and noticed someone had covered her with a huge, black cape. She stood up and carefully arranged the cape around herself and tied her sash, it had come with her skimpy outfit, around her middle to keep it in place.

Satisfied she was decent, she went towards the sound of clanking dishes to see what knd of a man she had been thrown together with.

(^)

Kade was just finishing up making dinner for himself and the girl when he noticed her in the doorway watching him with a critical eye.

"What's your name?" He figured he had better break the ice sooner or later.

"Reanna." Her voice was soft and quiet, almost too quiet to be heard. "What's yours?"

"You don't know who I am?" Kade was shocked.

"Should I?"

"Most of the galaxy can name me even if we haven't met before." at Reanna's questioning look Kade suddenly realized she had no clue who he was. "I'm Kade. But most of the galaxy knows me as Master Kade."

"Master Kade?" a light of recognition shone in the Reanna's eyes. "Third in command of the empire?"

"One and the same. You really didn't know, did you?"

"I've never really paid attention to what was going on outside of my homeplanet." Kade began to notice how pale Reanna looked. "I was always to busy studying."

"What were you studying for?"

"I was trying to get into medical school."

"How long ago did you last eat?" Kade realized why her voice was so quiet and she was so pale.

"I don't know. Right after the auction maybe, but I can't remember that well."

"How long ago was the auction?"

"I don't know that either. What day is it today?"

"Friday."

"And the auction was on Saturday."

At first Kade didn't think he heard right. Five days of being starved? But then Rackon was a coward and this girl had apparantly severely injured a few of her captors, so it wasn't all that unlikely.

"Sit down," Kade ordered. "You look like you're about to faint."

Reanna looked like she'd argue, but, after a moment, she quietly obeyed. Kade realized that even if she had obeyed right then, she wouldn't be so complient when she recovered her strength.

"So where are you from?" Kade wanted to know.

"Ondo in the Kilter systom."

"You're a long way from home then."

"No kidding."

They were both silent through the rest of the evening. Neither knew what the other was thinking and they had never been stuck in that type of predicament before.

Reanna was a little afraid about what would happen to her. And Kade was not sure to treat a fearful, young woman that was stuck in his quarters against her will.

So when it was time to turn in, Kade gave Reanna his room and slept on the couch. Only then did he realize he was considered a slave owner.

(^)

Thanks for reading! Please Review!


	3. Chapter 3 Frustration

Reanna woke the next morning to the sound of something falling over in the next room. At first she thought it was Mianna tripping over the stairs as she tried to sneak in after spending the whole night at a party, but then remembered she was nowhere near her home planet.

_I don't even know where I am._ She thought to herself.

"Blast!" Master Kades voice sounded right after another crashing sound. "I knew I shouldn't of done it! If I ever see that weasil again..."

Reanna found her curiosity peeked as she heard Master Kade go on to describe a very colourful picture about what he was going to do to a very unfortunate person.

So, instead of getting even more much needed sleep, she got up, arranged the cape she had been given, and went out into the main room.

It was empty and Master Kade was nowhere to be seen. Reanna looked around and noticed a light on in the training room she had discovered earlier.

She went over to the room and looked in.

"I'm sorry I woke you." Reanna jumped as she heard Master Kade's voice behind her.

"I heard somethings crashing."

"That was me and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so loud."

"Whoever you're mad at must have really done something to make you so upset." Reanna observed. "If my mother had heard half of what you planned to do to the person she would have put you on restriction for the rest of your life."

"Amusing." Master Kade said as he went past Reanna into the training room.

Reanna followed him and watched as he set a bunch of droids on attack mode and took out two lightsabers.

"Yellow?" Reanna asked in surprise when she saw the colour of blades. "I thought you were supposed to use the colour red for your lightsabers."

"Are you an expert?" Master Kade didn't even glance in her direction.

"No."

"Then why do you think I'm supposed to use a red lightsaber?"

"I had to learn about Force-Users in school. The last known three Force-Users are the Emporer, Lord Rane, and you. And all three are supposed use red lightsabers."

"Interesting." Was all Master Kade said.

Reanna watched as he deflected all the blaster bolts fired at him and gracefully disposed of all the droids. He finished and quickly reset the droids.

"Are you force sensative?" The questiion threw Reanna off guard.

"No," Reanna answered slightly uncertain. "What would make you think that?"

"I thought I heard you calling for help earlier, but you weren't saying anything outloud. So it was only logical explanation."

"You didn't hear anything like that."

"So _"please don't let them take me"_,_ "help me"_, and _"please just help me"_ wasn't you, but a figment of my imagination?"

Reanna didn't answer and quickly left the room. She was sure she hadn't said anything about her thoughts and she had remained silent when Rackon had given her to Master Kade.

_How does he know exactly what I was thinking? What is going to happen to me? Why am I the one this happened to in the firstplace?_

Reanna went to the bedroom and made sure to lock the door behind her. If he could read her thoughts she didn't want to be anywhere near him.

A few hours later Reanna was woken up from an unintended sleep by a knock on the door. She slowly got up and opened the door just a crack.

"Excuse me," a young woman with auborn hair held out a bundle of clothes. "Master Kade had me bring these up for you. He told me to tell you that better clothes will be ordered immediately."

"Thank-you." Reanna accepted the clothes gratefully. "Would you mind telling me where I am?"

"You don't know?" the woman seemed shocked when Reanna shook her head in confirmation. "You're on the imperial ship _Confronter_."

"Thank-you."

The woman nodded and turned away. She odviously had her duties to preform and had taken a detuor from them to give Reanna the clothes.

The clothes turned out to be a gray uniform. She found it a little big, but it would do until she could get something else to wear.

Once she had them on, she went about trying to figure out how the combat droids worked so she could at least stay in shape for when she got away from the _Confronter_. It turned out she needed a special passcode to activate the droids, so she had to settle with a few simple exercises.

After a little while of excerise, Reanna decided to find something to eat.

Reanna wandered into the kitchen and looked into the fridge to see what she could cook that wouldn't take too much time to make.

She had just started to make up some food when she heard the door to Master Kade's quarters. Master Kade entered looking over a stack of papers.

"Something smells good." He said absentmindedly.

"Have you eaten yet?" Reanna decided she might as well offer.

"Do you know what these are?" He held up the papers in his hands up.

"Should I?"

"These are the papers drawn up for your ownership," Master Kade began. "I was planning on setting you free as soon as I could get the legal papers, but there is a small hitch."

"A hitch?"

"Read the fine print." Master Kade dropped the papers on the table.

Reanna pulled the papers toward herself and began to read. When she finished, she looked up with one of the most angry faces she had ever pulled.

"_"Complete ownership will not fully comence for six months"_?" Reanna looked up in disbelief. "Please tell me it doesn't really say that?"

"I'm afraid it does."

"What does it mean exactly?"

"It means you can't leave for six months unless you go back to your former owner." Master Kade informed her.

Reanna felt her heart pound harder than ever before when she realized her next six months were going to be spent as a slave.

(^)

Hours later, Kade watched as Reanna tried venting her frustration by killing as many of his droids as she could get her hands on.

He was slightly surprised that she had actually gotten through the passcode, seeings how she was supposed to be wanting to become a docter, and very amused at knowing she could access things his special agents couldn't figure out.

After she had slaughtered the last droid, Kade decided it was time to make himself known. He opened to door to his training room and entered.

"Where in the galaxy did you learn to fight like that?" He asked curiously.

"I took some self defense courses back home," she tried to lie. "Never know when knowing how to defend yourself might come in handy."

"I might've believed that if you hadn't bypassed the security on the droids. Where did you really learn those skills?"

"Bounty-hunter training." Reanna said hesitantly.

"I thought you were going to be a doctor?"

"No," Reanna shrugged and shook her head. "That was just the cover story I used to keep people from suspecting what I really was planning to do."

"Why wouldn't you want people to know?"

"My family sees me as a disgrace as it is," Reanna started to walk out of the training room. "They don't need the disgrace of their daughter being a bounty-hunter."

"I can see them being at least a little disgraced by that," Kade agreed. "Not many high-end families on Ondo are looked well upon if one of the children do something like that."

"What makes you think I'm from one of high end-families?" Reanna turned back as Kade reset the droids.

"Your voice," Kade took out his lightsabers. "It's too cultured to be anything under well-off and there is a slight polish to it that is only found in the high-end families."

One of the droids suddenly flew at Reanna causing her to quickly duck and pull out the training blaster she had been using earlier.

After she desposed of the droid she looked over at Kade with a suspicious look on her face.

"That wasn't an accident, was it?"

"No." Kade gave a slight smile as he shook his head.

Reanna nodded and left the room. From the look she had given him, Kade figured she was very wary of him and was trying to stay as far away from him as she could get. Which, sadly, wasn't far at all.

_If this is going to work, _Kade thought to himself, _then I need to do something, quickly."_

Deciding this, Kade took out his comlink and waited for the admiral to pick up.

"Yes sir?"

"That suite next to mine, I need you to have it fixed up and the kitchen stocked."

"Are we expecting quests, sir?"

"I'm afraid we already have one."

(^)

Thanks for reading! Likes, dislikes or ideas? Reveiw!


	4. Chapter 4 Force Sensativity

Three days went by and Reanna felt herself start to go crazy with boredom. She couldn't train anymore because Master Kade had jacked up his security on the droids, and she had never seen the technology he had used before.

She couldn't use the pool because she didn't have the proper attire, the holonet had never held any interest for her before, and she couldn't clean because Master Kade's suite was always spotless.

"What am I supposed to do?" She asked herself as she paced through the kitchen and main room. "Pace for the whole six months?"

She stopped pacing and dropped onto the couch. She stared at the wall and thought about what her life would have been like if the stupid pirates hadn't attacked her.

"I would be a bounty hunter by now, and I wouldn't be bored to death with nothing to do! By now, I would probably be on the other side of the galaxy looking for a job."

"By now, you would be mixed in with a bad crowd and would be doing jobs for a politician that doesn't care about anything other than money and power," Master Kade was suddenly standing over her. "And _that_ would be a waste of talent."

"Stop sneaking up on me like that!" Reanna demanded as she jumped up off the couch. "And I would never work for a politician like Rackon!"

"I didn't say you would," Kade held up his hands in surrender. "I just...Never mind. So you're bored?"

"What ever gave you that idea?" Reanna said sarcasticly.

"I'll ignore that for now," Master Kade sat down. "You want something to do, right?"

"Why?" Reanna wanted to know.

"Give me your arm."

"What?"

"Give me your arm."

In response, Reanna tried to hold her arms as far away from Master Kade as she could, but somehow he managed to grab one.

"Ouch!" Reanna cried as she felt something prick her arm. "What in the forsaken galaxy are you doing?"

"Checking your mediclorian count." Master Kade looked at the screen on a strange looking device.

"I thought I already told you I'm not force-sensative at all!"

"You did. And who told you that you weren't?"

"What does it matter? My count is under the general average for even non-force sensatives."

"For someone with below average, this looks a little high."

Reanna ignored Master Kade and started to go towards the kitchen. She had always been told her mediclorian count was so low she ould never be remotely close to force-sensativity.

"Seventeen thousand high."

"Seventeen thousand!" Reanna's attention had been caught. "That can't be possible! My count has always been negative!"

"Not according to this." Master Kade held up his little mediclorian counting thing. "It says you are more force-sensative than some of the Force-Users used to be."

Reanna snatched the counter out of Master Kade's hand and looked at the screen hoping to see that he had been kidding her. She nearly fainted when she saw the number was infact seventeen thousand.

"This can't be real! Something messed it up. Take the test again!"

"Are you sure?" Master Kade raised an eyebrow.

"Take it!"

"Okay."

Master Kade gently took Reanna's arm and took another blood sample. Reanna watched skeptically as the little machine counted. After a little while it started beeping and Master Kase handed it to her.

"Aren't you going to look at it?" She asked.

"Why? I already know what it's going to say."

Reanna rolled her eyes and looked the screen. Her heart felt like it would beet out of her chest as she saw the count hadn't changed.

"So I _am_ force-sensative." Reanna picked up a glass of water.

"Yup."

"Even though I'm _not_ supposed to be."

"Yup."

"So what does that have to do with my boredom?" She took a sip of her water.

"I want to train you in the ways of the force."

Reanna began choking on the water she had just started drinking. Her train in the ways of the force? She had never thought she would ever have anything to do with the force. Now someone was wanting to train her?

"Train?" she managed to choke out. "You mean as in the meditation, levitation, and lightsaber thing you do?"

"Yeah, I mean that meditation, levitation, and lightsaber thing I do," Master Kade nodded. "And some other stuff. It would end your boredom for sure, and you wouldn't have to worry about your bounty-hunting skills going out of tune."

"I'll sleep on it and tell you if I'm interested tomorrow." Reanna decided.

"Which brings me to the second thing I wanted to talk to you about," Master Kade stood up and started towards the door. "Come with me."

Reanna sighed, followed him towards the door, and stopped right before she left the quarters.

"I made sure it's safe for you to leave the suite," he assured her. "I would never ask you to leave if I knew it wasn't safe."

Reanna was a little wary, but she stepped out into the hall, followed Kade a little ways down, and nearly crashed into him when he suddenly stopped.

"Why are we out here?" Reanna wanted to know.

"You need some space, and I need my bed back," Master Kade palmed a door open. "So I decided to pull a few strings so we can get what we want."

Reanna stepped through the doors and gasped in shock as she saw a complately furnished suite.

"You still have access to the pool and training room. It's the same general set-up as my quarters, only backwards. The cupboards and fridge are stocked with everything you need, and there are some clothes in the bedroom. I'll leave you to get comfortable." Master Kade turned to leave.

"Thank-you, Master Kade." Reanna said to his retreating back.

Master Kade stopped and turned.

"Call me Kade." He instructed and then left.

As the doors closed behind him, Reanna couldn't shake the feeling of warmth that had welled up in her chest.

"Perhaps these next six months won't be so bad." She said to herself. "And maybe I will take Kade up on his offer."

(^)

Thanks for reading! If you have any ideas, likes, or dislikes, REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 5 War!

Hi everybody,

I just wanted to explain a little about the Force-Users. I made it so there are no Sith or Jedi in this universe, but there is a dark side of the force and a light side. Anyways, read and enjoy!

See ya,

Lona Striker.

Tension was high at the rebel base on the ice planet Maldon. Everyone wore the same strained expression and walked with the same stiff gait as they waited for the news of the vote.

Well, everyone who's name wasn't Striker. Where everyone was huddleing around the moniters inside the base, Striker was outside working on her pride and joy. The _Starlight._

Outside it looked like an old freighter, but inside it was one of the most dangerouse starfighters in the galaxy. Built by Striker herself, it was specifically made to suit her and no one else.

"Come on, baby, start up for me." Striker pleaded softly to her ship. "If you start up, I promise to get a transfer to a warmer planet and never touch this one again."

Her only response was _Starlight_ groaning a little before falling back into complete silence. If there was one thing the _Starlight_ was, it was stubborn.

"Stupid hunk of junk," Striker kicked the ship before turning her attention to a small cylinder sitting on her workbench. "If you won't start up, I'll just work on this."

"Striker?" the annoying new recruit called. "Striker, are you up there?"

Striker shoved the cylinder into one of the drawers and started towards the hatch. She hated it when people inturrupted her working on the _Starlight._

"Yes?" Striker asked curtly. "Have you come to tell me the vote I already know, Starfeild?"

"No," the young woman ran her hands over her forearms. "I just really need your help."

There was such a look of extreme worry in Mianna Starfield's eyes that Striker didn't have the heart to tell the woman to leave, so she instead motioned for Starfield to join her.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Do you have any younger siblings?" Starfield asked as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"No. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, I have a younger sister-"

"If you just need help with family matters go find a persone who deals with these kinds of things. I am very busy and I can't be bothered with family affairs."

"This isn't about family affairs," Starfield collapsed onto the copilot seat. "My younger sister disappeared two-and-a-half weeks ago."

"Go on." Striker leaned up against a wall.

"She came with me to the moon when I joined the rebellion, so my ship would make it back to my homeplanet. I left and she didn't arrive home."

"And the problem is?"

"Are you really that slow?" Starfield jumped up. "My little sister is missing and no one has any idea what happened or where she is!"

"It's possible she ran away."

"Reanna? Run away? She would never do anything like that! She was trying to go to medical school to become a doctor! Why would you even suspect that?"

"Okay! Okay." Striker held up her hands in defeat. "If you say she wouldn't run away, she wouldn't run away. But just remember that only leaves two other possiblilities."

"And what's that?"

"She was attacked by space pirates and taken prisoner or killed. Either way, it will be almost impossible to find out what truly happened. But with a few strings pulled I might be able to find out if she's alive or not."

"So you'll help?" Starfield asked hopefully.

"Only if you can get me transfered to a warmer planet." Strtiker tried to bargain.

"I'll see what I can do. But I am new here, so it might take me a little while."

"As long as I can get of this ice block. It's making the _Starlight _grumpy and unresonable. And in making _Starlight_ grumpy and unresonable, I become grumpy and unresonable."

"If you can find my sister, I will make sure they send you to the resort planet." Starfield promised.

"Done!"

(^)

"Rea, you aren't trusting the force to warn you!" Kade sighed exasperatedly as Reanna was hit yet again with a stun bolt. "Stop realying on your eyes and hearing, and let the force guide your movements."

"That's pretty hard to do," Reanna rubbed her arm where the bolt hit. "Considering, I just spent the last three years of my life training to trust them."

"Then let's try blindfolding your eyes until you are able to trust the force without the hinderence of needing to see."

"Hinderence?"

"You trust your eyes so much, that you can't fully trust the force." Kade explained as he tossed a black peice of cloth to Reanna. "Your eyes can and will deceive you, but the force will never lie to you."

Reanna tied the cloth around her eyes and then activated the practice lightsaber Kade had let her use. She felt her muscles tense nervously as she heard the droids activate.

"Relax," Kade's voice was soothing. "Immerse youself in the force. Let it flow through you."

Reanna did as she was told and relaxed. She felt two of the droids come up to her, but ingnored them and focused on the droid trying to circle around behind her and the one about to fire at her.

She deflected the bolts and jumped over to where the droid had nearly gotten behind her and gave a quick swipe with her saber.

_Crash! _Reanna heard the satisfying sound of the droid falling to the ground and busied herself with the other droids. She became so focused on dispatching the droids, she didn't even notice when Kade came at her with his own lightsabers until she felt searing pain on her legs and arms.

"Ouch!" Reanna crumpled up onto the floor.

"Never become to focused on your opponent!" Kade scolded. "You never know if they have back-up or if someone will help them anyways. Always watch your back, for even one second of forgetting that could cost you your life. Understand?"

"Yes." Reanna groaned as she stood up. "And I'll try to never do that again."

"You will, or you will not. Chose which one you'll do."

"I won't ever do that again."

"Good," Kade gave a curt nod. "Now, I believe, it's time for you to end for the day. But, tomorrow I want you to continue practicing blinfolded until you can do it flawlessly."

"Yes, sir." Reanna started towards her quarters. "Hey, how about coming over to my quarters for dinner tonight? I'm making fish."

"How could I refuse an offer like that?" Kade asked letting the hard trainer mask fall from his face. "I juat have to take care of a few more things around the ship and I'll be there in about...Oh let's say an hour?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you then."

Four things Reanna had learned about Kade in the week she had been his "guest" was that he hated his work, was a very hard intructor, was very touchy about his past, and had a good sense of humor. All these traits wrapped up into one man made for a very strange combination indeed.

_I wonder how old he is?_ Reanna wondreed to herself for the eighth time that week. _Can't be a day over thirty. But he has to be older than twenty-five._

"I'll have to ask him this evening." Reanna said to herself as she opened the freezer to get to get the fish. "Along wth if he can get some more seasoning for the meat."

"How old are you?" Reanna asked right before she took a bite of her dessert.

"Does it matter?" Kade wanted to know.

"I don't know," Reanna shrugged. "I just like to know the ages of the people I hang out with."

"How old do you think I am?"

"Not a day over thirty, and not a day younger then twenty-five," Reanna estimated. "But I've never been good with ages anyway, so I'm probably off by a few numbers."

"Not too many," Kade chuckled as he reached over the table and scooped some of Reanna's ice cream onto his spoon. "But let's just pretend I'm sixty, alright?"

"Hey!" Reanna took a defensive stance over the ice cream as Kade ate the stuff on his spoon. "Keep away from the ice cream, mister!"

"It is lawfully mine." Kade reminded her.

"Since when have I cared about lawful?" Reanna asked. "I have done enough unlawful stuff that there is no point to even trying to be lawful anymore."

"Maybe it was a good thing you were given to me," Kade joked. "If you were out on your own, I bet you'd have at least twenty prices on your head. Most of them dead or alive."

"Come, come now. All of them would be dead or alive."

They were silent for a few minutes and Reanna started to clear the dishes for washing. As she headed towards the kitchen, she noticed Kade following behind her.

"You don't have to help with the dishes, you know." Reanna said as she put the dishes in the sink and started the water. "I can do the dishes."

"And I can help," Kade grabbed a towel. "I have been doing dishes myself ever since I came into command of the fleet."

"I thought Lord Rane was in charge of the fleet."

"He is the supreme commander," Kade explained. "He is highest in command aside from the emporer. And that means he can assume full command of the fleet at any time he wants."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"How do you think having two commanders to manage one fleet is? Especailly, when the one can give any orders he wants and they will have to be obeyed without question unless the emperor says otherwise and he almost never troubles himself about those matters."

"I think I'm starting to get an idea on why you hate your job."

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_ Kade's comlink went off.

"And here comes the war announcement." He muttered unhappily to himself, then into the comlink. "Yes, what is it?"

Kade listened for a little while and then curtly ended the transmission.

"Well, it's offcial. The rebellion and Empire are at war."

Thank for reading and please don't forget to Reveiw!


	6. Chapter 6 Secrets

"Hey! Striker!" Old Jake, a batender, greeted her from behind his counter. "Haven't seen you here in a while. How's the old rascal Roy?"

"I don't know," Striker shrugged at the mention of her mentor. "Last I knew, he was following another lead to get his force-sensativity back, but that was eight months ago and I haven't heard from him since."

"Still have no idea what caused it to disappear?"

"None. He just passed out and then woke up the next morning without any trace of ever being force-sensative. But enough about that," Striker changed the subject. "I need information about the slave trade."

"I'm full of that. What do you need to know?"

"There was a specific girl kidnapped from in between Ondo and it's moon about two and a half weeks ago. Here's a holo of her from three days before it happened."

Old Jake took the holo and looked at it with a critical eye. Recognition shone in his eyes and he looked up in surprise.

"Striker, you could have asked anyone on this planet who this girl was and they would know!" Old Jake exclaimed. "She was the jewel of the market about two weeks ago. Even I put up a bid for her."

"Jewel of the market?" Striker was shocked. "I mean, she's pretty, but there would have been others that would surely be more of a jewel than her."

"It wasn't just her beauty that had everyone declare her the jewel, it was her spunk. Everyone heard that when she was captured, she injured six of the crewmen so severely, only three are even able to get up at the moment."

"Do you know who she was sold to?" Striker wanted to know.

"I left after her bid went above my price range. I'm sure the auction master would know, but he doesn't part with any information easily. You have to be able to pay a pretty high price."

"He'll tell me," Striker smiled dangerously. "And I won't have to pay him a single credit."

"That I don't doubt." Old Jack said to her retreating back.

(^)

It took a few hours for Striker to find the auction master, and when she did, she wished that there was another way to get the information without talking to the pervert. But seeings how there wasn't, she went up to him.

"Hey! I need to talk to you!" Striker got his attention.

"Well, sweetheart, I'm free for now. Why don't we head to my office?"

Striker was suddenly glad of the mask the kept most of her face hidden.

"I guess that would be best."

Striker followed the auction master into a dingy, dark room and made sure the door was secure behind her. She then turned to the auction master and noticed the way he was looking at her.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I need information about a certain female slave," Striker made sure to stay on the opposite side of the room from the auction master and crossed her arms. "A certain female slave that was pronounced jewel of the market about two weeks ago."

"I might be able to help you. What are you willing to pay?"

"How about I give you something to remember?"

"I could settle for that."

"Good. Now tell me what you know about her."

"She was taken from the Kilter systom two-and-a-half weeks ago. She killed one of the crewmembers and put six of them in the medical centre. Then, she was sold in an auction for one million credits to a man called Petrin Rackon. That is all I know."

Striker nodded and headed towards the door, only to be stopped by the sound of the auction master's voice.

"Wait a minute, honey. I thought you said you would give me something to remember."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks for reminding me." Striker turned around and walked over to the expectant man.

(^)

"You have news about my sister?" Starfild's anxious voice came over the comlink.

"Yes. And I'm glad to tell you that the last time anyone here saw her, she was alive. But she was sold to a man called Petrin Rackon. Ever heard of him?"

"He's senator of Orlo. The neighboring planat of Ondo. He's also a pervert. Striker, please find him and if my sister is there, get her out!"

"I'll do my best." Striker promised.

"That is all I can ask." Starfield cut the transmission.

Striker clipped the comlink back to her belt and signaled Old Jake for another drink. Something had been bothering her since she had talked to the auction master.

Starfield had said that Reanna had only been trying to become a doctor. And yet, Reanna had killed a man and put six others in the medical centre. How could someone just out of school and working as a waitress at a diner do all that? It just didn't make sense!

"Are you sure you should be drinking?" Old Jake asked as he set another glass before her. "I don't think Roy would approve."

"Roy doesn't have to know!" Striker said angrily. "Besides, I don't care what he thinks!"

"Then what would your mother think?" Old Jake asked hesitantly.

"Leave her out of this! You have no right to bring her up!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think you sould be drinking while you're trying to find a missing person."

Striker nodded and stood up. She knew Old Jake was right and also know that he probably wouldn't sell her anymore drinks that night.

"Put the drinks on my tab. They'll be paid within the week."

Old Jake nodded and watched as Striker left. It was so hard keeping her away from the truth about her mentor and what had really happened to him, but with a few drinks each time she came, her attention could be diverted to whatever he wanted it to. He just had to make sure she never had too much or she would be able to detect the drug he slipped into all his drinks.

Little did Old Jake know that he was about to be found out.

(^)

Desmond had just finished his work for the day and was starting home when Striker caught up with him.

"Are you Desmond Nar?" She asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"I'm looking for someone and I heard you were on of their closest friends."

"Who are you looking for and why?"

"I was hired by Mianna Starfield to find Reanna Starfield." Striker explained.

Desmond's head jerked up at the mention of his sister-in-law. It had been awhile since anyone had even mentioned her name, and now a complete stranger was asking for information.

"What would you need to know?"

"How a seventeen-year-old girl without any combat training was able to put six pirates into the medical centre?"

Desmond sighed. "Come up to my office and I'll explain everything you need to know."

Striker nodded and followed Desmond up into the building. She noticed that even though the company had closed for the day, the secretary was still sitting at her desk.

"El, I thought I told you to leave." Desmond said as he turned off her computer.

"I was going to, but I found a glich in the systom and decided to fix it." The secretary explained.

"Well, you don't have to, so leave right now." Desmond ordered.

The secretary nodded and hurridly left without a backword glance. Striker could sense she was very nervouse about something.

"This way please." Desmond motioned towards a door marked with his name.

Striker followed Desmond into the office and took the seat he motioned her towards, while he took the seat behind his desk.

"So you want to know about Reanna and her combat training?"

"I like to know a little about the people I search for, and what I was told by Mianna didn't match up with what I learned in my search."

"Mianna told you Reanna was going to go to medical school, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, that was only partly true. Reanna was really training to become a bounty-hunter, and planned to get basic medical training in case she was hurt in a job."

"How far along was she in her training?" Striker wanted to know.

"She would have finished it that week if she hadn't disappeared."

"So she knew how to bypass high security?"

"She could bypass anything thrown her way if she was desparate enough."

"How desparate would she be if she was the prisoner of Senator Rackon?"

"Reanna is prisoner of that scum?" Desmond went rigid. "Why do you need information about her if you know where she is?"

"I need that information in order to know how hard it is going to be to get her out of Rackon's clutches."

"If you need help, then Reanna has a favour from a friend to call in and I know she would be more than willing to help," Desmond handed her a datapad. "This has her name and address, but you need to be sure to reach her before this evening, because she is leaving tonight."

"Well, then I believe I must be going," Striker stood up. "Thank-you for your time and information."

"Anything to help my sister-in-law."

(^)

Three presences were closing in on her. None of them seemed top have ill intentions, but she knew that one of them would attack. The only thing she could do was try to identify the dangerous one and dispose of it as thoroughly as she could.

But then there was suddenly another presence coming towards her at a terrible speed. She quickly probed their mind and realized it wasn't the presence she was looking for.

Her lightsaber was suddenly in her hand as she spun around and blocked one of Kade's strikes at her. She had found the hostile presence and was unsurprised that it was Kade, but she could easily feel the other presences slowly taking on ill intent for her.

"Now this isn't fair," Reanna complained. "I have to go blindfolded up against four droids and you even though I only just started my training."

"I never did say I would be fair," Kade's voice was quiet and controled. "I only said it would be hard and sometimes even frustrating, but I never once said it would be fair."

Reanna didn't respond as she blocked another swipe at her arm and jumped back to dispose one of the droids that came a little too close.

She felt another droid aim it's blaster at her and jumped just as it fired letting the blast pass by where she had been a second ago and smash into its partner.

"Three down, two more to go." Reanna said as she blocked another attack made by Kade. "Now the question is, will I survive long enough to gat the fourth droid?"

"Not if you continue the way you are going." Kade informed her. "But you are doing a lot better now than you were yesterday."

"I'd better be. Or I'd know you were going easy on me."

"In my mind, I am going too easy on you. Compared to the way my training was, this is a walk in the park."

"Remind me never to go walking in any of the parks you recommend."

_Crash!_ Reanna flipped and disposed of the last droid. It was so strange trying to fight without the ability to see, yet it made her victories much more enjoyable.

"Concentrate!" Kade scolded her as his lightsaber grazed her arm. "Never give up a fight until your opptions are either die or surrender. Even then, never give up on the fight for escape."

Reanna did as she was told and began to concentrate on the fight before her. She soon lost track of time and all that mattered was winning this fight against Kade .

It seemed the longer the fight went, the harder it became to hold her own against Kade. His attacks became more faster and fiercer and Reanna soon realized that she couldn't defeat him using only the force and the lightsaber, but she also needed to use some of her bounty-hunter training.

A wicked smile soon spread over Reanna's features as an idea started forming in her mind. Kade may be the master of the force here, but Reanna had spent years training as a bounty-hunter and had learned many tricks on how to beat an opponent better than herself.

"I see an expression of deceit, but I can't sense a shred of it coming from you." Kade commented ponderingly. "Should I be worried?"

"No. You don't have to worry about a thing." Reanna said right before she put her plan into action.

(^)

"I still can't believe you almost beat me," Kade said as he patted a damp cloth to a small bruised cut on his forehead. "Not even Anna Rane has been able to nearly beat me like that, and she has been training for years."

"But she hasn't trained as a bounty-hunter for the last few years of her life," Reanna pointed out. "And I bet, she has never had the advantage of being blindfolded while training. Besides, you did beat me, so what does it matter?"

"Remind me next time I come across a young force-sensative bounty-hunter in training, not to offer them lessons in using the force."

Reanna laughed as she took the cloth Kade was using and ran cold water over it. She hadn't meant to hit Kade so hard, but it had been diffacult to judge how hard she was swinging and Kade had been caught unawares.

"You can laugh, because you don't have a jaw that feels like someone smashed it to pieces!" Kade grabbed the cloth back. "Your head also doesn't feel like someone is drumming apart from the inside."

"Sorry, but when you are trained to use whatever method nescisary to acomplish your mission, you tend to do just that."

Kade rolled his eyes and sat back in the chair. Reanna was always trying to excel in everything he threw her way and half the time she did. But when she didn't, she would always practice until she got it perfect every time. An excellent student.

"So, do you have any idea when Lord Rane is going to arrive?" Reanna wanted to know. "Because I would like to know when I have to retreat to my quarters for the inspection."

"He'll be here in three days."

Reanna crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. Her lips were curled into a smirk and her deep blue eyes shone with mischief.

"And I don't want your presence to be known, so don't try anything that would draw any attention from anyone. It will be hard enough keeping your force presence masked without having strange happening going on around the ship."

"Alright," Reanna opened the freezer and took out the ice cream. "I promise I won't do anything that will draw attention frm anyone whatsoever."

"Good. Now get a bowl for your ice cream and while your at it get me one as well." Kade said right before his comlink suddenly started going off. "Can't even have three hours of peace. Yes?"

Kade listened and his face turned worried and shocked as he listened. When he cut the transmission, his gaze immediately landed on Reanna.

"You need to get to your quarters now!" Kade stood up and grabbed her arm. "It seems Lord Rane decided to come early and bring his daughter along."

"Three days early? He likes surprises doesn't he?"

"Just get to your quarters and turn on the sensors I gave you," Kade steered her to the training room. "And don't forget not to use much water."

"I got it!" Reanna said slightly annoyed. "You've been drilling me in what to since the war was anounced."

"I can't help feeling a little nervous since I'm technically not supposed to have any slaves in my quarters, and Lord Rane is very thorough in his inspections."

"So, see you in a week?" Reanna confirmed as she stood in the doorway.

"Unless he stays longer or leaves sooner."

Reanna gave a smile and turned to go back to her quarters. When she got there she turned on the sensors and went to the veiwport she had overlooking the hanger where Kade was greeting Lord Rane and his daughter.

As she watched, the shuttle landed and the ramp lowered. Lord Rane came off of it first followed closely by who Reanna assumed was his daughter Anna.

Lord Rane and Kade shook hands and then Anna walked forward and embraced Kade.

Reanna didn't know why, but she suddenly felt a spike of jealousy jolt through herself as she saw the fond way Kade returned the embrace.

(^)

Thank-you for taking the time to read this. If you have any ideas, dislikes, or suggestions, please review.


	7. Chapter 7 The First Battle

"So, Kade, what have you been up to for the last few weeks?" Anna asked as she followed him up to her quarters.

"Oh, nothing much," Kade waved his hand dismissively. "Just managing the ship and getting it ready for the war."

"From what I've seen, you have done a great job in that." Anna stated. "My father is impressed with it so far. I think he wishes the _Demolisher_ was this well put together."

"He still uses the _Demolisher_ as his flagship?"

"He says it is the only ship that has a respectful crew and has enough firepower to suit him," Anna grinned. "But that was before he saw the _Confronter_. I think he might be a little jealous by the time the inspection is complete."

"I only do my best." Kade opened the door and motioned for her to go inside. "I believe these quarters are suited to your liking. If not, then just tell the protacal droid what you need and he'll be sure to get it for you."

"What's its number?"

"TA-2U, but everyone just calls him Tatoo."

"Thank-you, Kade."

"No problem. But next time I would like to know if you're going to be early."

"Father says it is better to arrive earlier than planned so you can know for sure that the people you are inspecting have been doing a good job and not just polished up to pass inspection."

"That's what I've always liked about your father." Kade said as he turned to leave. "Always making sure that jobs are done perfectly no matter who does them."

The door closed behind Kade and Anna found herself alone with her thoughts and suspicians. Kade was hiding something, and Anna knew it. The question was, what was he hiding and where?

These were things Anna planned to find out, even if it meant going behind Kade and her father's backs, and going places she knew she wasn't supposed to.

(^)

Reanna was slowly brought to reality by the sound of her door opening and closing. Normally, that wouldn't be enough to wake her up, but it had been so quiet lately even that seemed like a loud noise.

Footsteps sounded in her living room and started towards her bedroom door. So, Reanna, being the ever so cautious person she was, grabbed her lightsaber and went to stand right beside the door.

The door quietly slid open and Reanna waited for the person to step through the door. Her muscles tensed and she held her lightsaber in position to strike.

"Very good," Kade's voice was approving. "Though try to go easy on the speed. If you move too fast, it is possible that you might make some noise and alert the intruder that you know of their presence."

What are you doing here?" Reanna wanted to know as she stepped away from her position bside the door and clipped the lightsaber to her belt. "You weren't supposed to come until the end of the week."

"I thought I might need to chek up on you. Just to see how you were holding up." Kade explained. "And from what I can see, you're bored out of your brain."

"You got that right," Reanna walked over to the kitchen. "Three days of nothing to do is not my idea on an ideal way on how to spend my time."

"If you really don't care about any career you might have after this whole thing is done, then you can make yourself known to the galaxy as Master Kade's mistress."

"I think I'll pass." Reanna tossed Kade a drink.

"I thought you might," Kade opened the bottle. "The inspection is going to take three more days at the most and it is going to be in this section of the ship tomorrow. So I suggest you erase any evidence of your existance and move over to my place."

"You're sure he won't inspect your quarters?"

"An officer's quarters are his private place. No one is allowed to go into them without the permission of the officer. And Lord Rane won't be likely to ask to see them."

"And on the off chance he will want to see them? What am I supposed to do then?"

"You'll think of something," Kade assured her. "In the meantime, start cleaning up this place."

Reanna rolled her eyes and took out a container full of ice cream. She took out a spoon and leaned onto the counter.

"What if you told him that this is an officers quarters?" she wondered. "Then he would need my permission to inspect these quarters and if I'm not around, he can't search them."

Kade chuckled amusedly. "That might work if you had an id. But it will be safer to just go with my plan."

"Fine."

_Buzz, buzz, buzz._ The buzzer in Kade's quarters went off letting him know that someone was waiting at his door.

"See you later," Kade walked out of the kitchen and started towards the door. "Oh, I nearly forgot." Kade turned back to her. "As soon as they leave, I'm going to be heading down to the planet to pick up a few supplies. Would you like to tag along?"

"Absolutely!" Reanna exclaimed eagerly. "Like I would literally stay in these chambers for six months without leaving at least once."

"I thought you might," Kade smiled at Reanna's enthusiasm. "I'll come get you when it's time."

(^)

"Haven't you notice how strange Kade has been acting since we arrived?" Anna wanted to know as she watched her father inspect another part of the ship. "As if he is hiding something?"

"I did notice, but he keeps many things secret and I respect his privacy," Lord Rane said as he finished. "Don't go pressing him for answers or poking your nose where it doesn't belong, Anna."

"But, Father!"

"No buts, Anna," Lord Rane said sternly. "Kade has a right to keep his secrets just like the rest of us. You will respect that, or I will send you home on suspention for two months. Is that understood?"

"Wh-"

"Is that understood?" Lord Rane raised his voice.

"Yes sir." Anna grumbled.

"What was that?"

"Yes sir." Anna said clearly.

"Good. Now there is one thing I want you to find out," Lord Rane got the attention of his daughter. "There is this one pilot that has been showing up in the strangest places and doing some of the strange things. Her name is Striker, she wears a mask, and she pilots a ship called the _Starlight_. I have a feeling she is part of the rebellion and from what I've heard, she is a formidable pilot. I want to know exactly who she is and where she is from."

"I'll do my best, but there are many people who use that alias and it will take time to find her." Anna said as she followed her father towards the bridge. "Do you think she'll be much of a threat?"

"I think she'll be one of the greatest threats to our empire during this war," Lord Rane stated as he pushed the button to the lift. "So great, I think it would be best to get her in our custody so she doesn't make the mistake of becoming one of the most wanted war criminals."

"If there is anything about her in the database, I'll find it."

"Excellent."

The door opened and they found the bridge in a frenzy of action. Officers and crewmen were going back and fourth giving reports and orders. Communicators were working overtime and Kade was standing in the middle, directing what was going on on his ship.

"Master Kade, what is going on?" Lord Rane wanted to know.

"It appears you get a demonstration on what goes on in battle," Kade motioned around. "We're under attack from rebels."

"Master Kade!" one of the crew demanded his attention. "The rebels are targeting our sheild generators and engines!"

"Have the twelve fighters stand by and wait for my signal." Kade ordered and started to another part of the bridge.

"We're not going to attack?" Anna was shocked.

"I never said that," Kade didn't slow his stride so Anna nearly had to run to keep up with him. "We wait for the right moment if we want to get some prisoners."

"We could still get prisoners if we sent all the fighter out now," Anna wasn't liking the way Kade was commanding the ship. "I think this is foolhardy."

"Right now it doesn't matter what you think, Miss. Anna. I am commander of this ship and if I chose to do something you don't like, you can take it up with your father _after_ the skirmish."

Kade rushed away to take care of something and Anna stood watching him go in frustration. She knew she didn't have much experience in commanding a fleet, but that didn't make her a complete outsider to how it worked.

Anna felt her father's hand on her shoulder and turned to face him.

"Let Kade do his job," he said calmly. "He has his way of doing things, and you have yours. Just watch and learn about what to do, and what not to do."

"Tell all fighters to get out there immediately, and round up as many rebels as they can and get them imobolized." Kade gave the order just as the last few rebels joined there comrads.

Anna watched in shock as hundreds of fighters suddenly filled the space around them and swamped the rebels. Though few in numbers, the rebels put up a great fight and managed to destroy quite a few fighters. But in a few minutes, the rebels were herded towards one of the hangers.

"All troops set your guns to stun and be ready to avoid blaster shots," Kade said into a speaker. Then releasing the button and straightening up. "So you see, Miss. Anna, I can manage my own starfleet."

(^)

"News on subject number three?" a woman asked the man sitting beside her in the bar. "Is she ready for the next trial?"

"No. She vanished into thin air and the person who could have told us where she was is dead," The man took a swig of his drink. "We may have to start again."

"We can't afford to start again!" the woman exclaimed. "Not with the war going on! You're just going to have to trace her."

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" the man was slightly frustrated. "The man who could have told us where she is was murdered. She's lost and there is no way we can find her before her-"

"Hush up, you fool! We can't risk anyone hearing us talk about it!" the woman silenced her companion. "Now, if we can't have the girl, then her keepers have to pay as agreed. Go and make sure none of them escape, except the one who was smart enough to join."

"How do you want me to do it?"

"Make it an accident."

"Gladly."

Spoiler! Next chapter is going to be very sad. If you have any ideas, dislikes, or likes, please reveiw!


	8. Chapter 8 Death

"I think if we want to find Reanna, we have to ask Rackon where she is." Striker said as she and Miranda rushed back onto Miranda's ship. "Because I am not going back in there again like that!"

"And how are we supposed to get a legal audience with the senator?" Miranda dropped onto the floor and breathed deep. "It's not like he is going to want to see two young females that don't have anything for him."

"We could go in as two of the dancers he calls for." Striker suggested.

"No way!" Miranda obected. "There is no way in this galaxy that I am going to dress in one of those skimpy outfits! Not even for Reanna!"

"Fine, you can dress up as one of his maids."

"Sounds pretty good to me. But how are we going to get hm to talk?"

"Same way I made the auction master talk," Striker answered. "Make him think you're going to do one thing, and then do the opposite."

"Make him think what and then do what?"

"Make him think I'm going to please him and then leave him with a headache," Striker shrugged. "Only in his case, hope he doesn't fight back and make it so I have to kill him."

"You are so nice, aren't you?"

"The nicest person around, Miranda."

Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of Miranda's emergancy comlink going off. Worry sparked in her gray eyes when she saw it was Desmond.

"What it is, Des?"

"Miranda," Desmond's voice was paniced. "The building is collapsing, so's the house. Hope managed to get Millie out, but she got caught it. Miranda, I don't think I'll survive, so I need you to get Millie."

"Desmond, what about Hope's parents?"

"Their house collapsed ten minutes before my house and the offices started. I believe they were still inside. Please, just get Millie and make sure she is safe. Tell her I love her and.. Augh!" Desmond screamed and then the comlink went dead.

"Des? Desmond!"

"He's gone, Miranda." Striker said quietly.

"I've got to contact Cal," Miranda began punching in the number. "He'll get her for me and keep her until I can get there."

"After this operation is done." Stiker ordered.

"No, I'm getting this ship there as soon as I can get it in the air." Miranda punched in the coordinates while she waited for Cal to pick up.

"So you're going to leave your friend who knows where in captivity?"

"If it was you who was expected to take care of someones child because they just died, what would you do?" Mianda wanted to know. "Would you wait?"

"I don't know what I would do."

"If you want to stay to carry out the plan, I won't stop you. But I have to go." Miranda turned and began speaking into the comlink.

(^)

Reanna was feeling quite cheerful as she made breakfast for herself. Lord Rane and his daughter were leaving that day and after they were gone she could continue her training.

She looked up to watch the new on the holonet as she began cutting up fruit and was shocked to see the news was about some people on Ondo who's homes and business had fallen on top of them.

When the names and images came on the screen, Reanna missed the peice of fruit and sliced through her hand, but she didn't notice. All she could do was stare at the screen in horror at what she saw.

The names of the victims: Mack Starfield, Desmia Starfield, Desmond Nar, and Hope Starfield Nar. Each killed in their own homes and business.

"NO!" Reanna felt her chest constrict. "It can't be!"

But the pictures and video clips of the victims being taken out of their collapsed homes confirmed it. Her family was dead.

"No no no no no!" Reanna let the knife slip from her fingures and sank to the floor in grief. "I can't believe it! I can't! The can't be dead! They can't!"

As she sat there sobbing and bleeding, the door slid open and someone started towards the kitchen. But Reanna didn't care. Her family was dead and she had no way to even pay her respects.

"Are you all right?" A worried female voice asked her. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No! Get away from me! Just go away!" Reanna screamed.

She was rewarded with the sound of fast leaving footsteps and her door opening and closing.

(^)

Kade was helping scan Lord Rane's shuttle for any bombs or little surprises when Anna rushed in. She ran straight over to him with an expression of rage.

"Miss. Anna? Is there something wrong?"

Anna didn't respond, but went right up to him and let loose a hard slap across his face.

"Ouch! What in the galaxy, Anna?"

"You are going to explain about I just saw in the quarters right next to yours! And I don't want any lies!" Anna said loudly.

"You went up to the suites?" Kade was both angry and shocked. "Miss. Anna, that was going too far! As Lord Rane's daughter I had thought you had more respect for military procedure!"

"And as commander of this fleet, I thought you would set a better example!" Anna adopted her father's stern voice. "I also thought you knew better than to ke-" Kade pressed his hand over Anna's mouth and dragged her ontot the shuttle.

"You saw Reanna and I understand your confusion," Kade said after he dragged Anna into the engine room. "Reanna is my slave, yes. But not by my choice."

"Really?"

"Just be quit and listen!" Kade ordered heatedly. "Reanna was kidnapped by pirates a while ago and sold to senator Rackon. As a way to get me to try and sway the other senator's votes his way, he gave me Reanna. I had planned to release her as soon as I could, but the fine print said that ownership over her will not comence for six months and if I don't want to keep her I have to give her back to Rackon. I have done nothing to harm her."

"Then tell me why she is in the kitchen on the floor bleeding and sobbing as if the galaxy had ended."

"What?"

"She's on the floor of the kitchen bleeding and sobbing."

Kade didn't even wait to hear the rest of Anna's sentence. He rushed out of the shuttle and over to the lift. If Reanna was hurt, he could be held accountable.

The doors opened and Kade rushed forward not paying attention to the personel he knocked over or Anna following a distance behind.

It took only a few minutes for Kade to rech Reanna's suite, and when he did, he didn't even knock before entering and ran to the kitchen.

Sure enough, Reanna was curled up on the floor sobbing hard. Kade also noticed the blood that ran from her hand and covered her face.

"Rea!" he shot forward and gathered her up in his arms. "Rea, what happened?"

"They're dead, Kade. Dead!" Reanna sobbed as she clung to him. "All of them! They're all gone!"

"Who's dead and gone?"

"My family!"

Kade felt like he had just been kicked in the gut as he heard those words. He knew what it was like to lose a family. He had known since he was a child.

"Anna," he became aware of the girl standing above them. "Get a cool, wet cloth for her cut, and then you should go to get ready to leave with your father."

Anna did as she was told and began to dab the blood away from the cut and found it was bigger than she had first thought.

"Please don't say a word about Reanna to anyone," Kade said as he took the cloth. "If the emperor found out, I'm not sure what I'd do."

"I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Not even your mother or father."

"I promise."

"Good, now you need to go."

Anna started to go, but when she reached the doorway to the living room she lingered a little wondering if their was anything she could do.

"Anna! Go now."

Kade watched as Anna left and then turned his attention to the woman sobbing in his arms. Reanna looked so terrified and fragile, Kade knew she truly believed her family was dead.

"Rea," he gently lifted her face so she was looking into his eyes. "Why do you think they're dead?"

"I-I t-tur-turned on the ho-holonet w-whle I w-was c-c-cutting fruit, and th-the n-n-news report s-said th-that they w-were crushed un-under under... Oh Kade!"

"What were they crushed under?"

"M-mom a-an-and D-dad w-were i-in th-their hou-house, Ho-Hope was in h-hers, a-a-and D-desmond w-as in h-his off-office."

"Are you certain it was them?"

"I know m-my own family!"

Kade held Reanna tighter and began to softly stroke her hair. He knew she would need as much comfort as he could give through the next few months and he wasn't sure he would be able to give near enough.

"Why?" Kade was startled by the sound of Reanna's voice.

"Why what?"

"Why would someone want to kill them?"

Kade mentally kicked himself at her question. Of course she would realize it was murder. Three buildings didn't just collaps like that. Least of all, three buildings belonging to her family specificly.

"I don't know, Rea. I just don't know."

"Promise me you'll find out?"

"I'll do what I can. But I can't make any promises." Kade wished he could offer more.

Reanna nodded and held him tighter. Her small body was wracking with sobbs as she buried her face in his chest. Blood began soaking through his tunic making him aware that her hand was still bleeding.

"We need to deal with that cut." Kade took her hand and started to lead her towards the 'fresher.

"It's fine." Reanna tried to take her hand back.

"No it is not _fine_!" Kade gripped it harder. "This is a very deep cut and your spouting blood like a fountain. I know it's hard, but you need to take care of yourself."

Reanna didn't say anything, but just looked down to the floor. She could remember her last words to them had been about how she would be back in time for supper. But now there was no chance of that ever happening. Her family was dead, and she was alone in the galaxy.

She grimiced as she felt Kade applied the dsinfectant to the cut. But the need for any other reaction escaped her.

Kade was becoming worried. The life in Reanna's deep blue eyes was fading to a dim glow. Her face was turning into a stony mask devoid of emotion.

By the time he had cleaned and bound her hand, he had to guide her movements to get her to move. The shock had worn off and now numbness was settling in.

"Please don't do this, Rea." Kade softly begged her as he directed her to the bedroom. "Please don't let the numbness take over."

But Reanna was already not listening. Her mind was still trying to register the fact that her family was gone forever. Even Desmond.

(^)

"I wonder where Kade has gotten to," Lord Rane stopped right before he and Anna walked up the ramp. "I thought for sure he would be here to see us off."

"He had some urgent business to take care of," Anna said as calmly as she could. "He said not to wait for him. And he hopes to see us soon."

"Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine. He just had some business to take care of."

Lord Rane nodded and let the subject drop. He knew Kade was hiding something, and he had a feeling Anna knew exactly what Kade was hiding. But if Anna wasn't willing to tell even him, it was something very important and would be revealed in due time.

"Did you find anything on Striker like I asked you to?" He wanted to know.

"No. I went through all the files there were on every known Striker, and I found nothing aside from what we already know. But I did get a picture that someone snapped of her a little while ago. Of course it isn't the full face, but at least we know what her mask looks like."

"Excellent. Emperor Arkins will be most pleased about this."

"No, he won't," Anna knew her father would be coming home stiff as a board after seeing the emperor. "He will say that we could have found out more if we had looked harder."

"You know the emperor," Lord Rane put an arm around his daughter's shoulders. "Always in a bad mood unless you come with a complete report or you've taken out at least ten of the most wanted criminals on the list."

"Yeah right," Anna was feeling grumpy. "He'll find the smallest thing he can and punish you severely."

"There is only so much he can do."

"Only so much he can do until he kills you."

"Is that why you have been so moody lately? Don't worry about it. He won't kill me for another ten years at least."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Anna murmered quietly to herself.

Sad, huh? I was slightly upset with myself when I killed off Desmond, but at least I left his daughter alive. Anyways, if you have any likes, dislikes, or ideas, REVEIW!


	9. Chapter 9 A Lousy Kisser

"Where is she?" Miranda burst through the doors of Cal's house.

"She is in the medical bay just down the hall." Cal answered ignoring the young woman followiing behind Miranda.

"Medical bay?" Miranda exclaimed feeling her worry go through the roof. "Is she all right?"

"I think you should see her before we give the report on her injuries."

Miranda wasn't listening anymore. Her best friend's niece was in the medical bay with who knows what kind of injuries, and had just had her family brutally killed.

Miranda stepped through the door to the bay and looked around hoping for a glimps of the infant she was there to see and take care of.

"Where is she?"

"I put her in the back of the bay so no one but the doctors would bother her," Cal lead the way and stopped infront of a curtain. "She's just inside. Don't make any sudden noises or you'll frighten her."

"Alright."

Miranda stepped through the curtain and walked over to the small bed. She looked down and watched as the tiny baby girl slept peacefully. If it had not been for the bandages on Millie's face, Miranda would have thought that Cal had been overreacting.

As if Millie could sense she was there, her eyes fluttered open and the deep blue eyes stared up at Miranda. After a few seconds of staring into each others eyes, Millie reached up with her little arms and gave Miranda a look that could only say she wanted to be picked up.

Miranda did as the infant wanted and was soon holding Millie tenderly. As she did, she noticed how much Millie looked like Reanna.

"Miranda," Striker said softly as she entered and stood beside Miranda. "Cal would like to talk to you."

"Of course," Miranda started out of the bay. "Is he in the training gym?"

"Yes," Sriker was startled when Miranda started out still carrying Millie. "Are you supposed to be taking her out of here? I don't think Cal will like it."

"Cal doesn't have to. Millie wants to be held, and I'm not about to leave a screaming alone in some cold medical bay. Unless, you want to hold her."

"I can't," Striker waved her arms and shook her head. "I've never held a baby in my life, and I'd drop her for sure."

"Now is a great time to learn and if you sit down it will be harder to drop her."

"I don't know."

Mianda just shoved Striker into a chair, positioned her arms, placed the baby into them, and left before Striker was even able to protest the point.

The bay doors closed behind Miranda leaving Striker all alone.

"Well, that wasn't nice," Striker said to the girl in her arms. "I've never even been in the same room as a baby and now I'm holding one? This is one strange galaxy."

Milie didn't make a sound and just stared up at the strange person holding her. Her look was one of pure puzzlement and curiosity.

"What? You've never seen someone wearing a mask before?" Striker asked sarcasticly knowing that Millie probably never had. "Don't you start wanting me to take it off! Sometimes this is the only thing keeping me alive."

The baby just looked up at Striker with a look of patience and expectation. Stiker was so unnerved by the look, she nearly took her mask off to get the look off the babies face.

"No way, kid! I am not taking this mask off for anybody. Especially not a baby like you."

But after a few minutes of those eyes staring her down, Striker reached up and loosened the strapps that kept the mask in place.

The baby cooed happily as the mask fell away to reveal Striker's true face.

* * *

"Are you sure there is no way anyone could have survived?" Mianda asked her old trainer.

"I saw the bodies myself," Cal said tiredly. "Mack, Desmia, Hope, and Desmond are all dead. Millie only susrvived because Hope had put her outside just before the house collapsed."

"Who is Millie's legal guardian now?"

"It would have been Reanna, but, seeings how Reanna disappeared, now I guess, since she is the only member of the family we can locate, it would be Mianna."

"Mianna? But she's with the rebellion and that is no place for a baby! Also, she is one of the most irresponsible people that ever walked htis planet! You can't give Millie to her!"

"I don't have a choice," Cal whipped one of the students that was slacking. "Legally, Mianna is the only kin that we can locate. And until we can find Reanna, she is Millie's guardian and there is nothing we can do about it."

"There is something we can do," and idea formed in Miranda's mind. "If you can keep Millie's survival secret for just a few days, Striker and I will get Reanna back here to claim guardianship over Millie."

"Mianda, I can't-"

"Four days. That is all I ask. Four days to let Millie recover."

Cal stopped and seemed to think it over. Miranda crossed her fingures behind her back and hoped that Cal would agree, but the look on his face was enough to tell Miranda he wouldn't do it.

"I'm sorry. But I can't do it. I'm already stepping over my boudries and if I were to do anymore, I would be arrested for sure."

"Thanks anyways," Miranda turned to go back to the medical bay. "I should probably go save Striker from Millie's clutches. If Millie lives up to even a quarter of Reanna's personality, Striker will be freaking out by now."

Miranda nearly ran all the way back to the medical bay and burst through the doors.

"How is she?" Miranda asked.

"I have never seen such a scary baby in my life!" Striker shoved Millie into Miranda's arms. "She kept looking at me like she knew something about me that I have still yet to discover."

"That's what everbody used to say about Reanna when she was a newbon," Miranda chuckled. "Only, there were a few that said it was like she was looking into their very soul."

"I'm not so sure I want to find this girl anymore."

"You'll change your mind when you meet her," Miranda was certain. "Come on, we have to go if we want to get Reanna here before her sister claims guardianship over Millie."

* * *

After thay had settled Millie into her bed and gotten to the ship, Striker was surprised when Miranda set the coordinates for Orlo, but flew to a different hanger.

"What are we doing?" Striker wanted to know.

"How do you feel about kidnapping?" Miranda asked.

"Depends on who it is I'm suposed to kidnapp."

"How about an infant that just had it's parents killed and is about to go to a family member who will never be there for her? What do you think about that kidnapping?"

"What's your plan?"

(^)

Kade was becoming worried about Reanna. She wasn't eating, she ignored hiom completely, and she had lost all interest in learning the ways of the force. It seemed she had turned into an empty shell with no emotion or feeling.

The worst thing about it was, Kade knew exactly what she was thinking and was worried she would try to kill herself sometime soon if she was allowed to go on this way. So, he decided to do something about it before it was too late.

"Rea!" he shouted as he entered her quarters. "Rea, get out here!"

As he expected, there was no response. He marched into her room, flipped on the light, and stomped over to the bed where Reanna was laying just staring off into space.

"Rea, get up!" he ordered as he grabbed her and pulled her up. "It's time for training."

Reanna didn't respond as Kade directed her towards the training room. Kade knew she had no intention of training, but he was going to make her whether she wanted to or not.

Kade left Reanna standing in the middle of the room and turned on the droids to one of the highest setting he could. If that didn't get a response out of her, he didn't know what would.

He watched as the droids attacked Reanna and became hopeful when she took out the lightsaber and started to defend herself. But his hopes were crushed as Reanna fought her way over to the controls and she turned the droids off.

Then, she started to walk away and Kade's temper snapped. He rushed forward, grabbed Reanna's arms, and forced her to look up at him.

"Rea, snap out of this right now!" he ordered fiercely. "Do you hear me? Snap out of it!"

Reanna just stared up into Kade's face with her blank expression and for the first time ever, Kade felt like slapping a female. But he was very careful not act on that instinct, and instead did the last thing he ever thought he would. He kissed her.

Her reaction was almost instant. Kade felt himself go backwards and hit the wall.

"In all that is good in this forsaken galaxy, what on earth were you doing?" Reanna sounded both angry and shocked.

"What did it look like I was doing?"

"Out of anyone I've ever met, I thought you were the least likely to do a thing like that!" Reanna was outraged. "How could you?"

"Desparate times call for desparate measures," Kade rubbed his head. "When you don't even respond when I offer ice cream, I am allowed to call that a desparate situation."

"What was so desparate about it?"

"You weren't eating, speaking, or sleeping. Nothing else could get a lasting reaction out of you, so what was I supposed to do?"

"Leave me alone!"

"So you could let yourself die?" Kade said more forcfully than he had intended. "Rea, I know it feels like your heart has just been torn out of your chest, and I understand that, b-"

"You understand?" Reanna snorted disbelievingly. "How could you understand? Your family wasn't just murdered for no reason at all! You can't understand, so just leave me alone!"

Reanna started out of the training room only to be stopped by Kade grabbing her arm and holding her where she stood.

"Rea, I am not allowing you to go back into your quarters until you've had your training session." Kade said calmly.

"I knew you wouldn't understand."

Kade grabbed Reanna's chin and made her look him in the eyes. He stared hard into them looking for anything that would tell him what she was thinking, but those midnight blue orbs told him nothing.

"Rea, though you may not believe me, I know exactly how you feel."

"Do you now? And how would you know?"

"I had my family murdered when I was nine. I was out training when it happened. I got home just in time to see my youngest sister strangled to death. She was only six. So don't you ever think that you are the only one to ever have had that pain! Now get your lightsaber out and defend yourself!"

All the droids started flying towards Reanna and Kade stepped away to the sidelines. With only a moments hesitation, she took out her lightsaber and did as she was told.

After a few minutes, Kade noticed a change in the way Reanna fought. She was using her anger to dispatch droid after droid. He could soon see if he didn't step in, she would start using the darkside and that was one of the worst possible things anyone could do.

So, he did hte only thing he could think of to do.

* * *

"Now is the most vital part of your training," Kade told Reanna as she sat at his table. "What you almost did was dangerous beyond reasoning. The darside of the force seems like a very powerful thing that will bend to your will whenever you wish it to. It makes you think you're in control to make you use it, but after a while, it makes you it's slave."

"You told me something along those lines at the beginning of my training," Reanna said with some slight anger in her voice. "Can I go?"

"No," Kade handed her a bowl of soup. "You need to eat, and then you can go to your quarters and get some sleep. And I don't want you to sit there staring off into space, I want you to sleep."

"Fine." Reanna scooped some soup onto her fork. "By the way, you are a terrible kisser."

"And you've had lots of experience in that particular field?"

"No, but that was one of the most akward things I have ever seen you do," Reanna smiled at the memory. "Makes me think you've never kissed anyone before in your life."

"That describes my life in general," Kade said jokingly. "But I doubt you've ever kissed anyone either."

"Yes, I did."

"Who?"

"Gary Darwik. He was one of my classmates."

"Where was the kiss and what grade?"

"On the cheek and it was the third grade, but it still counts."

"Then I have kissed Anna on multiple occasions," Kade said enjoying the look of annoyance crossed her face. "But then I would have also kissed others quite a lot as well."

"You've made your point," Reanna gave up. "Those kisses don't count, and I've never kissed anyone in my life. I'm done my soup, can I go now?"

"I guess, if you really want to," Kade said. "But be sure to eat tomorrow morning and be ready for training when I get up from work."

"I will be," Reanna promised as she left the room. "And I still think you are a lousy kisser."

"You aren't so good yourself," Kade called after her. "Not many girls force-push the man kissing them away."

"Not many girls are suddenly kissed by their instructor because they didn't want ice cream." The door closed behind Reanna and depression came over her again.

She had never thought that she would lose her family. They had just always been there and Reanna had assumed they always would. But now they were gone and she could never get them back.

Questions rolled around Reanna's head about why someone would want her family dead and who murdered them.

As she had remembered, from looking at all of her families records, her family had never been part of any illegal activity or even was remotely connected to anyone who was.

_But what about the extra money they had the year..._

Reanna stood frozen as she remembered a long forgotten payment made to her parents for her wellbeing. The only problem had been it had come with strings attatched.

All sleep was forgotten as Reanna rushed back into Kade's quarters. She needed to get him to let her follow this lead to find out who had murdered her family.

"Kade!" Reanna called as she rushed to the kitchen where she had left him. "Kade, I think I have a lead on who killed my family!"

"What?"

"Almost eight years ago, my parents payed a small fortune to be sure they could have a boy. But the people they payed did something wrong and my mother had a girl. Me. My parents were going to give me up for adoption, but a woman made an offer to give them the funds to raise me if they kept me. They agreed and recieved enough credits to get me through school. But it was only after that they found out that there were conditions to the deal."

"What were the conditions?"

"I don't know," Reanna shrugged. "I only found out about the deal by accident when I was looking up stuff about my family, and the conditions weren't listed."

"How does that give you a lead to who murdered your family?" Kade wondered.

"The woman they made the deal with went by the name, Madam. Hope once described her to me as a person who wouldn't let one tiny mistake go unpunished and dealt out severe punishment for those who made the mistake."

"And you think she did it?" Kade was skeptical. "Why?"

"Why would someone pay to have me raised and educated in the firstplace? There is no logic because we don't know the whole story. And the only way to find it out, is follow this lead in hopes that I can find out if she is the one behind the murders."

"And how do you plan to follow it?"

"I want to go back to Ondo to see what I can find about the deal," Reanna knew by his expression that Kade wasn't even considering it. "Please, Kade. Just a week."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't just order to set coordinates for a random systom without cause."

"Then let me go by myself."

"Not happening," Kade put the last of the dishes in the cupboards. "And before you try to argue, let me just say that my hands are tied in the subject. So you might as well save your breath and go get some sleep."

"Can I at least go to the funeral?"

"I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises." Kade watched as Reanna tried to keep her fury in check and bit her tongue to keep from saying anything she would regret. After a few minutes, she turned on her heel and ran out of the room.

"Why do I get the feeling I just set myself up for a heap of trouble?" Kade asked himself. "And why do I also have a feeling that she is right about the murderer?"

(^)

Thank-you for reading this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and if you liked it, please review.


	10. Chapter 10 Sickness and Hurts

"Not again!" Striker moaned as she heard Millie start crying again. "Can't I have at least an hours sleep tonight?"

"Striker! I need you up here now!" Miranda sounded scared.

Striker threw her blanket off and headed up to the cockpit where Miranda was piloting the ship. When she got up there she noticed Miranda holding Millie and just staring at the screaming child in shock.

"What's the matter?"

"Come look at Millie," Miranda ordered. "Is she supposed to look like this?"

Striker walked over and gasped as she looked at the baby. Millie's face was covered with spots of many different colours and her eyes were bloodshot.

"Where is the nearest medical centre?" Striker took the baby into her arms and headed towards to temperary medical room. "I should of known this would happen."

"What's wrong with her?"

"She is way to young to be traveling in space," Striker put Millie down on one of the beds. "To make things worse, it is her first time ever in space and she doesn't have a mother to take care of her properly. Go see if there is a medical centre nearbye."

"We can't take her to one of those! Millie was kidnapped and if she is found with us, that would be a life sentence right there for kidnapping and abstructing justice!"

"Would you rather see your best friend's niece die and then hae to carry the weight of knowing you could have done something but didn't?"

"I'll go look it up."

"Hush now!" Striker tried to sooth the infant. "Everything is going to be alright. Just hold on for a while."

Three minutes passed before Miranda came back. Her look was gloomy and there was deep worry in her eyes.

"Did you find one?"

"Yes, it's on Orlo and we should be there within the hour."

"So, what's the problem?"

"If we take Millie there, we won't be able to rescue Reanna from the senator. But if we go to the next planet, the medical centre is very well equipped and they don't ask any questions about anyone or anything."

"How long will it take us to get there?"

"A day at least. Maybe a little more if we are delayed. Will she be able to make it if we do that?"

"Though it is better to have this illness treated right away, it will take up to a week to become unstoppable. Get up to the cockpit and get this thing going as fast as it can. I want to get this treated as soon as possible.

Miranda did as she was told and Striker soon felt the ship speed up. Millie seemed to calm as she felt the vibrations and soon dropped off into a restless sleep.

(^)

Mianna walked through the halls of the main base nervously. The overall leader of the rebellion had summoned her to a private conference. The overall leader! Not many people had even seen this great person, and Mianna had been summoned within the first week of her transfer to the main base.

She made it to the room where the leader was waiting and knocked loudly. A voice called for her to enter and she palmed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was dark and she could barely make out the figure on the other side of the room.

"Miss. Madam?" She kept her voice steady. "You summoned me?"

"Ah! Of course, Miss. Starfield. Please have a seat," the woman stepped forward and motioned to one of the many confortable chairs. "Would you care for some wine? I have it come from Alderaan every harvest."

"No, thank-you. I'm trying to cut back on how much wine I drink every month," Mianna refused. "Your summon said that you had something important to discuss with me?"

"Yes," Madam put her glass of wine on the table beside her. "As you have probably heard, I'm looking for someone to become my first agent. I've been asking around and people have been recommending you. They say you are talented in undercover operations and sabotage, and that is exactly what i'm looking for. Would you consider the posistion? It would require months of no contact with any family and long hours, but it will bring victories to the rebellion. You wouldn't have to answer to anyone but me and your accomodations will be vastly improved."

"I-" Mianna was shocked that she was even considered for a second. "I'm honoured that you would even consider me, but I need ti think about this for a few days."

"Of course. Though I must know by the end of the week."

"I'll be sure to let you know," Mianna stood up to leave. "I believe I have duties that I need to take care of."

The next morning, Mianna returned to Madam's quarters and accepted the job with no knowledge about the hardships she would bring to the entire galaxy.

(^)

"You should really do something about that cut," Kade said as he followed Reanna into her quarters. "It might become infected if you don't get any disinfectant on it soon."

"Later." Reanna plopped down on one of her couches and started rubbing her bruised arm. "I'm too tired at the moment."

"How hard did he hit you?"

"Hard anough to bruise the bone, I think. But it should be alright in the morning if I don't move it around too much."

"Then there is no reason you can't deal with that cut."

"Sometimes you act like my nursemaid," Reanna complianed. "It gets annoying after awhile."

"I wouldn't act like your nursemaid if you would take better care of yourself," Kade went over to the 'fresher and got the medical kit. "Most of the time, I think I got a child instead of a seventeen-year-old woman. A very stubborn child of that. Now hold still!"

His last few words were followed by his hand shooting out and gripping Reanna's chin to make her hold still so he could apply the disinfectant.

"Ouch! That stuff stings like the blazes!" Reanna's hand flew up and tried to wipe the disinfectant from the cut only to make it worse. "Couldn't have just stiched it up, could you?"

"Nope," Kade grinned unsorrily. "You have to learn someway to obey my orders and this seems fitting."

"Out of all the people to get stuck with, I had to get stuck with the only one who forces me to use disinfectant for a tiny little cut. Why does it have to be me?"

"Would you rather a little cut and disinfectant or a pregnancy test and labour or an abortion? Because that is surely what you would have gotten if I hadn't accepted taking you as a slave. Also, this "tiny little cut" as you put it, runs from the middle of your forehead, behind your ear and it stops just behind your jaw. So don't you go around calling it a tiny little cut, or I'm goig to half to show you what a tiny little cut looks like."

"Are you almost done? I want to get some ice cream."

"Do you still want to go on raids?" Kade applyed pressure to the cut. "If you do go there will be a lot of applying disinfectant and bandages."

"Going on raids is better than sitting here all day with nothing else to do. Besides, how else am I supposed to put my training to the test?"

"By forgetting your bounty-hunter training and trying to beat me in a fair duel."

"Not going to happen," Reanna went to the kitchen to get some ice cream. "I'd rather disinfectant any day."

"Suit yourself."

"No problems there," Reanna opened the freezer. "Want some?"

"I'll pass. Sometimes I think you live alone on ice cream."

"No, I live on sugar. It gives me a very good buzz of energy and, believe me, I need all the energy I can get."

"Why?"

"How else am I supposed to keep up my amazing personality?"

"Amazing isn't the word I'd use."

"What word would you use?"

"Interesting," Kade said after a moments thought. "It's the kind that can disguise itself in a moments notice if you want it to. I could also say it's very deceitful."

"That is a way to describe it, though I've never heard it that way before. It's a new way to look at it."

They talked late into the night and were sitting on one of the couches watching the holonet when Reanna began to doze. It had been a long day and she barely noticed Kade's arm go around her shoulders or felt herself lean onto him. Nor did she notice when Kade picked her up in his arms and carry her to her room. All she noticed was the vision of a young infant reaching it's arms towards her and saying over and over again. "Mama! Mama!"

* * *

Okay, I know Reanna doesn't seem to feel the loss of her family very deeply, but you have to know that she doesn't want to let Kade have any idea on what she is feeling. Also, I'm sorry for the wait for the update. I was at a youth conference and I was too busy to write. So I hope you liked it and, if you haven't guessed, if you have any likes, dislikes, ideas, or suggestions, REVEIW!


	11. Chapter 11 Dreams

"Will she be all right?" Striker asked the doctor worridly. "She looked pretty bad when we brought her in."

"Thankfully, looks can be very deceiving. You got her here in plenty of time to have the illness treated and she should be back to normal in a few days. But you'll have to make sure she gets a lot of rest."

"Thank-you," Striker let out a sigh of relief. "Can I see her?"

"Of course."

The doctor led Striker down the hall to one of the many rooms and opened the door. She could easily hear Millie's whimpers from across the room and see her little form shaking.

"Is it normal for your patients to be shaking like that after they've been treated?"

"No, I think the nursing droid put the temperture to cold. I'll have to have it fixed."

"See that you do." Striker put a threatening note in her voice. "In the meantime, I'll hold her out in the hall where it's warmer."

Ignoring the doctors protests, Striker went over to where Millie was laying and gently lifted the infant out of the bed. Almost immediately, Millie quieted and began to sleep peacefully.

Three hours later, Miranda found Striker in one of the chairs, out in the hall, sound asleep. But it was no wonder, Striker had been caring for Millie all throughout each night Millie had been sick and had gotten almost no rest. Now she seemed to be catching up on her sleep and yet still care for Millie.

"Do you want me to take her for awhile?" Striker jumped at the sound of Miranda's voice. "You look like you could use a week of sleep."

"I feel like I could," Striker tightened her hold on Millie to let the infant know she was still there and stood up. "Has the doctor turned up the heat in Millie's room, yet? Poor girl was freezing when I went in a little while ago."

"I don't know," Miranda opened the door. "I just got back from the hotel and you'll never guess who I saw there."

"Who?"

"Rackon's right hand man. If anyone would know where Rackon is keeping Reanna, he's the one. If we can get him to talk, I'm sure we'll have rescued her by the end of the week."

"That's very good news!" Striker didn't put full conviction into her exclaimation. "I'm sure she'll be very happy to have her niece in her custody."

"Why don't you go to the hotel and get some rest? You'll need it."

"No, I think I'll stay for a while longer."

"Striker, you've been here since visitor hours started and you haven't eaten or slept for three days. You're going to get sick if you keep doing that and then where will Millie be?"

"I'll be fine," Striker layed Millie on the bed. "Besides, I've gone a lot longer without either."

Miranda didn't agree, but she remained silent for fear of offending Striker.

(^)

"Mianna," Madam seemed hesitant to talk about something. "You've heard about the young bounty-hunter we have in our ranks, right? The name she goes by is Striker."

"Who hasn't heard of her? I, infact, hired her to find someone for me."

"You're good at finding information. I would like you to find out exactly who she is and who her parents were."

"May I ask why?"

"I used to have a little girl. But I had to give her up for her own protection and recently, she disappeared from the home I left her in. I think Striker might be my daughter."

"And you would like me to confirm that fact?"

"If you could."

"I'll find out what I can, but I can't promise I'll find out exactly who she is."

"I can only ask that you do your best." Madam smiled. "Now, I believe you have duties to attend to."

Madam waited until the door to the gardens were closed before taking out her comlink. Ten minutes passed before the person on the other end to answer. And when they did, Madam could barely hear them over the noise in the background.

"Slick! Where on earth are you?" Madam demanded.

"Sorry, ma'am. I'll go somewhere quiet." A few minutes later there was no noise but the sound of Slick's breathing. "Now, to what do I owe this honour?"

"The Starfield and Nar's death was supposed to look like an accident! What happened? Three buildings collapsing within minutes of each other doesn't look like an accident!"

"You complaining on how I do things?"

"Yes! People are blaming the rebellion for that and the sympathy I had just been successfully gaining is almost nonexistant! Also, you've done nothing to track Striker down! I need to know if she's the child we've been after for so many years!"

"I've done everything there is to find out who she is. Roy doesn't know and the database has next to no information on her. As far as I am concerned, she's just an unregistered, illigitimate wench of some whore."

"Your veiwpoints only confirm my descision. Your fired!"

"You don't want to do that, Madam. I know so much about you, I could have you arrested within a day."

"Which is why I never take any chances," Madam pushed a small, seemingly insignificant button on her comlink. "The partnership was profitable while it lasted. Now I'm afraid I must terminate it along with your life. Good-bye, Slick."

Madam ended the transmission just as Slick's screams of agony started to sound over the speaker. A malicious smile curled Madam's lips. Things were starting to go her way. All she had to do was wait.

* * *

Buzz, buzz, buzz! Mianna was startled to hear her comlink going off. Everyone knew better than to call her at this hour. She had many duties to take care of now she was Madam's first agent and random comlink calls were just a nuscience.

"What is it?" Mianna said absentmindedly.

"That's a nice greeting for the person who's doing backflips to find your sister," Striker's sarcastic voice sounded. "Especially, since I was going to tell you about the progress in the search for your sister But, if that's how you think of me, I think I'll keep that information to myself. I'll call when I'm on my way back to the base."

"Wait!" Mianna dropped what she was doing and turning her full attention to the comlink. "What did you find out about my sister? Is she all right?"

"We should have her by the end of the week. Do you have my transfer papers ready? I want to get it over with as soon as I can."

"The moment you come back with my sister, is the moment you get your transfer to the resort planet."

"Good. As I said before, I'll call when I'm on my way back to the base."

The sound of an infant starting to cry sounded in the background. Mianna's ears pricked up as she recogized the cry as the cry of her niece.

"What's that?"

"My friend's best friend's niece."

"Funny. It sounds an awful lot like my niece, whom I'm supposed to pick up at the end of the week. Are you by any chance at Cal's Enterprises?"

"No. I'm at a medical centre on a planet near Orlo." There was a nervous note in Striker's voice.

"And why are you at the medical centre near Orlo?"

"A friend got sick."

"The same friend who is crying in the background?"

"The doctor doesn't like people talking on comlinks in his patients rooms. I think I should go now."

"You kidnapped my niece!"

"Kidnapped is such a strong word. I more like took her under my care for the time being."

"Striker!" Mianna shouted into the comlink. "What on earth possesed you to do such a thing? You have to be one of the most boneheaded, irresponsible, b-"

"Watch it! It wasn't even my idea in the firstplace! It was...my partners suggestion."

"Striker, when I get to Ondo at the end of the week, Millie better be there. Or I will press charges for kidnapping!" Mianna cut the transmission and slammed the comlink down on her desk. "Out of all the outrageous things to do, Striker had to do this!"

(^)

_Darkness was all around her. Her heart was beating furiously as she stumbled through it. She had to find her way home before it was too late to save them. _

_Things like thorns and branches began smacking up against her and tore at her flesh causing blood to start running down her body. She fell and felt thorns tear the skin on her face to shreds. But that didn't stop her. She jumped up and continued to run in the direction a sliver of light began to show._

_Panic pulsed through her veins as she got closer. She could hear screams of terror and agony. The sounds of blaster fire and lightsabers also reached her ears, but her mind found nothing strange about it._

_She got closer to the light and it slowly turned into a glowing red colour. She could feel the air becoming warmer and the smell of smoke and burning material reached her nose._

_She came to the edge of a clearing and froze in horror at what she saw._

_Homes were burning, women and children were screaming as they tried to flee the village. Men were being slaughtered as they tried to defend their families and bolts from blasters were hitting the fleeing women and children causing them to fall to the ground dead. _

_"Mama! Mama!" A small voice grabbed at her attention. "Mama, I want you."_

_A little toddler walked up to her and held out it's chubby arms. It's brown eyes looked up into her's pleading to be picked up, she couldn't resist. _

_She picked up the child and held it close. It was comforting to have something small and warm to hold close as she survayed the horrible scene before her._

_She had thought it couldn't get any worse, but then, three men wielding lightsabers attacked the villagers. The last man was killed and the attackers started murdering the women and children._

_A warning came, but she had no time to act before a blaster bolt hit the child in her arms killing it instantly. A scream tore through her throat and drew the attention from one of the men wielding lightsabers._

_"You killed her!" she screamed as they stood over her. "She was your child and you still killed her! How could you? How dare you!"_

_The man said nothing as she clutched the child and sobbed into it's soft hair. She felt the man's hands start to pick her up, but she thrashed around and sceamed. _

_"No! Don't touch me! You MURDERED your own child! Stay away from me! Kill me like you killed your child! But never touch me again!"_

* * *

"Rea! Rea, wake up! Wake up, it's only a dream!" Kade shook her until her teeth chattered, but she wouldn't wake up. "Don't make me take drastic measures."

Reanna didn't respond, but instead went deathly still. Her breath came in ragged gasps and her hair was soaked with sweat. Whatever she was dreaming about couldn't be good at all.

* * *

_She had a desicion to make. She was supposed to stand and let everything go on as planned. But her heart kept thumping _wrong wrong wrong wrong_ making it hard to even breathe._

_Her sister stood in the middle of the room holding her neices hand and placed her other hand over her expanding stomach. A tear of fear was falling from her eye as she listened to what her captors planned to do with her and the children under her care._

_It was nearly unbearable to watch as her sister was told she would be seperated from her only child and have her mind wiped. Told she her neice, and her child would be turned into nothing more than a weapon used for somone elses gain._

_"I won't let you do this!" her sister bit out defiantly. "You'll have to kill me in order to get what you want."_

_"Very well."_

_She didn't know how it happened or even the exact moment. All she knew was she was suddenly infront of her sister with a lightsaber blade protruding from just below her heart._

_The blade was withdrawn and left a gaping hole right below her chest. She stared down in shock at the wound and then up at the person who had done it._

_"I should have known." She gasped out and then fell to the ground._

* * *

_Slap! _Kade slapped a woman for the very first time in his life. It brought immediate results. Reanna's eyes snapped open and she started screaming and thrashing around trying to get out of Kade's grip.

"Rea! Rea, it's all right. Shh! Everythings okay." Kade's reassuring voice washed over her in calming waves. "Your safe and sound."

"Oh, Kade!" Reanna sobbed as she clung to him. "It was so real! Too real! They were all dying!"

"Hush!" Kade smoothed her soaked hair down. "It's over. No one is dying. It was all just a dream."

"No, it was just too real!"

"Rea. No one is dying. You were dreaming and there is nothing to be afraid of." Kade assured the distruaght woman in his arms. "Now wait here and I'll get you something to drink"

"No! Please, don't go, please!" Reanna clutched Kade tighter.

"Alright. I'll stay right here as long as you need me

The next morning found Kade leaning, passed out, against the wall still holding Reanna in his arms. Neither had slept well that night. Reanna could barely close her eyes after the horrifying things she'd seen in her dream, and Kade had stayed awake to comfort her. Now they both slept peacefuly completely oblivious to how late in the morning it got and how many times the admiral tried to com him.

(^)

Sooooooo, what do you think? If you have any ideas, suggestions, likes or dislikes, Reveiw! By the way, does anyone know the answere to the riddle "An eye in a blue face saw an eye in a green face. "That eye is like to _this _eye," said the first eye. "But in low place, not in high place." If you know the answere, reveiw and I'll post the answer a week from today.


	12. Chapter 12 Suicide

Something didn't seem right as Kade entered his suite. Maybe it was just because he was so tired from staying up all night comforting Reanna and then working all day. Or maybe, it was the light on in the kitchen and the datapad sitting on the table.

_Kade,_ it read.

_Please don't be too upset with me. But I don't feel like staying in these quarters for the rest of the six months and have decided to go out and do what I meant to do in the first place. Now before you storm out of your quarters to start looking all over the ship, I think it is only fair to warn you that I rigged all the doors to your quarters so you won't be able to leave until they are disarmed from the outside. I'll return two weeks after the ownership has been switched to you. _

_See you then,_

_Rea._

"She didn't!" Kade went out to the main room and tossed one of his gloves at the door. The glove instantly brought an electric shock. "She did. Blast! Well, at least she had the courtesy to warn me about the doors first."

Kade went over to the door and took out his lightsaber in hopes to cut a whole in it. The only result, though, was a terrible shock shooting through his body and then he was on the floor barely able to move. His comlink started buzzing and when he answered, the worried voice of the admiral came over it.

"Sir, your private shuttle has just been taken from the hangar, and there is something wrong with the tractor beam. Would you like me to send out some fighters to bring it back?"

"No," Kade groaned. "It seems the same person who stole it, rigged my quarter's doors. Send someone up to take care of it and have someone start tracking my shuttle."

"Yes, sir."

After hours of trying and failing to get a beam from the tracking device, Kade finally returned to his quarters and picked up the note again. He groaned when he saw he had missed a little bit of writing on the bottom of the pad.

_Ps. I made sure that the doors are resistant to lightsabers, so don't even think of trying. Also, tracking your shuttle is pointless, because I thought of everything._

"Why do I always look _after_ I do something stupid?" Kade asked himself.

* * *

"You really don't want to do this, do you?" Miranda said as she watched Striker tensely pilot the ship towards Ondo. In the last three days, Striker had become very quiet, moody, and had barely let Millie out of her sight.

"What makes you say that?" Striker said sarcastically as she lifted her vivid green eyes from the navicomputer to stare hard into Miranda's own brown. "Could it possibly be the fact that I don't want to talk to you?"

"You don't have to get so snappy about it," Miranda folded her arms and leaned back into her seat not a bit unnerved by Striker's intimidating gaze. "I just thought you might like to talk about it. I've never seen such a strong bond between a child and woman before."

"What bond? There is no bond between me and Millie!" Striker quickly objected. "The last thing I need or want is a bond with a young child!"

"But that doesn't mean it isn't there."

"Miranda, even if there was a bond, I wouldn't allow anyone to know about it. Terrible things happen to anyone I have a remote affection for. Millie is so young and innocent, I would just kill myself if anything happened to her."

The discussion was suddenly interrupted by their ship being fired upon. Striker immediately checked to see if anything was damaged and groaned when she saw the engines were disabled.

"Put all the remaining power we have left into the shields," she ordered Miranda as she got up to start working on the dead engines. "And then go make sure Millie is all right!"

Miranda nodded and did as she was told. When she saw how little power was left, she knew the shields would be useless against whatever ship was firing on them. So, after she finished with the power and had gotten Millie, she went to the engine room to see how Striker was doing.

"Are you going to be able to fix them? Or make a temporary repair?" Miranda made sure to keep worry in her voice.

"Ah, they're busted. It will take hours just to get them going for one hour," Striker kicked one of the troublesome engines. "How long can the shields hold up?"

As if to answer, four more lasers shook the small ship, causing the lights to go out.

"I think we just lost them," Miranda stated the obvious as she tried to keep her balance and not drop Millie. "Any bright ideas on how to get out of this mess?"

"Play dead?"

"Kind of hard when there is a screaming baby to hold and there are no obvious signs of a cause of death." Miranda pointed out.

"Then, our only hope is that our attackers aren't very vicious," Striker started to get up from the floor she had been thrown to. "Was Millie hurt?"

"No."

"Then give her to me and throw all our weapons into one of the ventilation shafts. The less harmless we look, the more likely they won't be too rough with us."

A few minutes later found them in the cockpit waiting to be boarded. They heard the other ship come along side theirs and attach itself to the hatch. They heard it open and then booted feet coming down towards them. Both turned in their seats as the first person entered the cockpit, and gasped in shock at the person they saw.

Standing tall and proud in the entrance was Mianna Starfield. They would have relaxed if it hadn't been for the look of anger and disgust on her oval face, and the look of hatred shining in her hazel eyes.

"Starfield?" Striker was nearly speechless.

"That's _Miss._ Starfield to you!" Mianna snapped with venom in her voice. "Where is my niece?"

"Right here," Striker let her confusion show as she stood up to give Millie to her aunt. "We were just on our way back to Ondo with her just as you ordered. Is there a problem?"

"I have orders from Madam to bring you to the main base." Mianna said somewhat more calmly than before as she took Millie. "You are to come with me immediately.

"Miss. Starfield, I am very close to getting your sister out of captivity. I cannot leave right now or any chance of seeing her alive ever again will be lost."

"There aren't anymore chances of that," tears pooled in Mianna's eyes and a hard note crept into her voice. "Reanna committed suicide last night. It was released in the news early this morning."

* * *

"Is there any way it could be someone else?" Kade asked as he followed the forensic pathologist, Baina, into her laboratory. "I mean, it isn't absolutely certain it is Miss. Starfield, is it?"

"Everything checks out," Baina pushed a wisp of blond hair from her face. "Her DNA matches the sample they have on Ondo, and her mediclorian count is the same. I've turned over every stone possible to be absolutely sure it is indeed Reanna Starfeild. The only thing I'm not entirely sure about is her face, and you can apparently identify it, so it will be cleared up very soon."

Baina led Kade to the table where the body lay and lifted the white sheet from the girls face. After a few moments of examining the girl's face, Kade looked up.

"Open her eyes." Kade ordered quietly.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Baina tried to protest.

"Open her eyes."

Baina did as she was told and gently lifted one of the girl's eyelids. She felt her stomach churn at the sight of the lifeless, midnight blue pupil. Even after ten years of forensics, she still couldn't stand the sightless eyes of the bodies she examined.

"Sir?"

"It's her," Kade tried to keep calm. "Wright up a death certificate."

Without another word, Kade swept out of the laboratory, leaving a very astounded Baina to take care of the body of Reanna.

When left alone, Baina gently closed the girl's eye and then put the sheet back over her face. She hated being able to see the faces of her when the subjects were as young as this one. Why, the girl couldn't have been a day over nineteen! And here she was in Baina's laboratory because she had shot herself in the head.

"What are parents teaching their children these days?" she asked herself frustrated. "If you don't succeed in one thing you have to take your own life? I'd be surprised if there were any young people by the time this war ends."

She signed the certificate and Reanna Senona Starfield was officially dead to the galaxy.

* * *

_Why? Why did you do it? Why? Why?_ Kade silently asked as he entered the training room. _You had so much talent and potential. If you had just held on, you could have become a great person in the galaxy._

He walked solemnly to the controls of the droids and a setting he had never let anyone ever know about. A small, white circle appeared on the floor and Kade stepped inside and drew his lightsabers.

The droids started attacking and Kade soon lost track of all time and sense of where he was. Childhood memories flooded through his mind. There were many of them, but one stood at the forefront of his mind. The day his family was murdered.

_"Mother? Tanya? Arvid?" he had just returned from his training session with Caden. "Mother? Tanya? Arvid? Where are you? You'll never guess what I did today! Mother?"_

_He heard a sound in the kitchen and rushed into it thinking his family was just playing a little joke on him. But the sight that greeted him was anything but a joke._

_His mother and older sister were on the floor staring sightlessly at the ceiling, and his little sister struggling to remove the iron grip around her neck. _

_Kade only took a moment to act. He charged at the man trying to strangle his younger sister and began to try and fight the man. But a nine-year-old up against a full grown man wasn't fair odds._

_"Stop it!" he screamed as he pounded his fists into the man. "Leave her alone! Leave her alone!"_

_The man simply smacked the back of Kade's head causing him to fall to the floor and hit his head, instantly causing him to fall unconscious._

A blaster bolt hit Kade's arm bringing him back to the present. An anger he used the force to crush the droid beyond recognition and then started to treat the other droids in the same manner.

Soon, there was nothing but twisted pieces of metal strewn all over the floor. Kade stood over them staring hatingly at the machines he had been using all his life with his dark brown eyes, now flecked with yellow.

* * *

Sorry it took so long and the chapter was kind of short. I've had a serious case of writers block lately and have also been busy with school. Anyways, the answer to the riddle I asked about is: Sun on daisies.

As always if you have any ideas, suggestions, likes or dislikes, Review!


	13. Chapter 13 Metal Face

"Dead!" Miranda couldn't believe her ears. "She can't be dead! Reanna wouldn't commit suicide! She just wouldn't!"

"And what would you know about this?" Mianna's attention shifted to the young bounty-hunter. "I don't ever recall seeing you before, so how could you know what my sister might've done and not done?"

"Oh, she probably never mentioned me before, but I'm her best friend," Miranda informed Mianna. "We went through bounty-hunter training together."

"Tha's where you're wrong. My sister did nothing of the sort! She was just out of school and trying to get into medical school. She never had time to train."

"From four to six in the morning," Miranda stated. "And that was only on the weekdays. Her weekend sessions were much longer."

Mianna's face went from surprise, to shock, and then to anger. Reanna had had many secrets, but Mianna was sure that she would never keep one that big. It just wasn't in Reanna's personality.

"It doesn't matter," Mianna's voice said anything but. "She's dead and whatever she did in her life doesn't matter anymore. And if you say another word, I will kill you!"

"Girls, girls!" Striker broke in not wanting another war to start in the galaxy. "You each knew Reanna and both loved her. Don't dishonour her name by fighting over what her personality was. Miss. Starfield, you have your niece and if you'll kindly tow our ship to the nearest maintenance ship, we'll part ways as mutual acquaintances."

"The bounty-hunter can," Mianna said the bounty-hunter like it was a curse and didn't take her eyes off the one in front of her. "But I have my orders to bring you into the main base. Willing or no."

"I'm sorry, but about that," Striker scratched the back of her head uncertainly. "I sent in my resignation papers yesterday. So I technically can't go there without any clearance."

"Oh, you have clearance," Striker tensed and grabbed at the place on her belt where her blaster would normally have been secured as Mianna said those words and made a motion towards her armed companions. "Given by the leader of the rebellion herself."

Millie started screaming as stun bolts slammed into the only two people she knew, paralyzing them instantly.

* * *

"Sir, we're receiving a distress call," one of the officers stood at attention as they reported. "A small fighter dead in space. Apparently, they were attacked by pirates and left for dead."

"You're sure they aren't rebels?" Kade did not feel like dealing with rebels today. "Find them and bring them aboard. But bring them to me instead of taking them to the cells or medical centre."

The officer nodded and left to follow the orders Kade had given him. Everyone in the crew could easily see the signs that Master Kade was running himself to exhaustion. None of them could remember him stopping to even eat in the last week and there wasn't anything anyone could say about it to him.

"What's eating him?" One of the female officers asked her partner.

"Who knows?" he shrugged. "He's a war commander and Force-user. He could be upset or just has a bunch of work he needs to finish. Frankly, no one even wants to ask and suffer the wrath of extra duties in the kitchen."

The female's partner stood up and left to make a report leaving her alone. Slowly, a smug smile tugged at her lips. She knew exactly what was making the master so grumpy and it was only a matter of time before he was so burnt out, that she could act without him putting up much of fight.

"Lieutenant Quinlan! Report!"

Quinlan's auburn haired head jerked up to see Master Kade standing over her. She opened her mouth to give the report, but suddenly realized she had no idea what to give a report about.

"I'm waiting." Master Kade's foot tapped impatiently on the floor.

"The report!" Quinlan pretended to know what he was talking about. "Yes, well. About what exactly?"

"If you had been listening you would have heard me. I don't want any slackers on my ship! You may report to the kitchen after you've finished your duties. Now get me the report on the status of the distressed ship!"

"Right away, sir!" Quinlan immediately got to work on getting the report. She did not want to have Master Kade getting on her case like that again. Even now she heard the other crew members snickering at her.

"And I suggest that the rest of you continue your duties unless you want to join her in the kitchen doing the dishes for the whole ship."

_I wish this could be over already._ Quinlan moaned in her thoughts. _Another day of kitchen duty and I'll go crazy. I'll have to consult Madam about this as soon as I can._

"Sir, we've found the ship," Quinlan was relieved at the information. "They'll be brought into hanger forty-nine in eight minutes and closing."

* * *

The distress call had been received. Good. She didn't know how much longer her oxygen was going to last and there was no way she could rig something up in the condition she was in. It had taken most of her strength just to get the transmitter working long enough to send a distress call.

"If I ever see that wench again, it'll be too soon!" she spat out angrily. "At least she had the decency to leave me enough air for awhile."

_Sscrraaape!_ Miranda jumped at the sound of another ship trying to link itself to her's. She tried to stand up, but only fell to the floor as her head spun. She looked up and suddenly realized that her sight had left her right eye. At first, she only thought it was blood caking it shut, but after wiping it away and opening it did she understand that it was blindness.

"Oh no! Please no!"

She felt the ship being towed and made another failed attempt to get up. She had no idea who had picked her up and wanted to be ready, but her wound was just too much to handle.

"Of all that is good in this forsaken galaxy, why did this have to happen to me?" Miranda started weeping. "Why?"

She was docked and they were lowering the ramp. Her breath was becoming shallow and darkness was clouding her vision. She had lost a lot of blood and was still losing more. She didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to hold on.

People were coming in the room, grabbing her arms, and pulling her up. She cried in pain and felt two arms slip around her waist to give her more support.

"Sir, it's a woman," the voice talking seemed distant. "Head injury, lack of oxygen, and possibly a few broken ribs. I think it would be best to take her to the medical centre at once."

The next thing Miranda knew, she was waking up in a small, white room and a small cot. The first thing she noticed was that the right side of her face was abnormally stiff.

She sat up and the stiffness decreased immensely. Thinking this strange, she lifted her hand and ran it down her right cheek. Instead if warm, soft skin, she only felt the cold hard surface of metal.

"What?" She threw off the thin blanket covering her and jumped up. She looked around hoping to find something she could see her reflection in. There was nothing but the cot and white walls in the room.

A hidden door opened and a young, dark haired, young woman in a simple, white gown entered.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly. "Are you in any pain?"

"Who are you? What happened to my face?" Miranda stroked her metal cheek. "Why is there metal covering my face? Where am I?"

"My name is Dekota Delsa and I'm the medic on the imperial ship, _Conquerer._" Dekota's voice was soothing. "You were losing so much blood we didn't have any time to relocate any of your other skin, so we had to do this," Dekota held out a mirror so Miranda could see herself. "We tried to use as little metal as possible, but, as you can see, there wasn't much we could do to use less."

Tears came into Miranda's eyes as she saw her reflection. The metal looked like scales and started just above her right eyebrow and, carefully avoiding her now dead eye, travelled all the way down to her chin.

"Just paint it green and I could be half reptile," Miranda started crying and sank onto her cot. "Oh Force! Why?"

"Master Kade is going to wish to speak to you soon," Detoka warned. "I was able to hold him off for a while, on account that you needed rest, but he has been becoming very impatient these days. He'll probably have you brought him before the day is out."

"Great. Just great!"

* * *

Sorry for the long wait and short chapter. I just haven't really had the time to write. I'm going to be trying to concentrate harder, but I can't make any promises about when the next chapter is going to be ready. Anyways, you know the drill, if you have any ideas, suggestions, likes, or dislikes, please review and let me know. See ya next time!


	14. Chapter 14 A Look Into the Past

"The girl?" Kade asked as the medic noticed him and came over. "Is she stable enough for me to speak with her?"

"She doesn't need life support, her heart rate is normal, her blood pressure is a little low, but with a few days in bed that shouldn't be much of a problem. The only thing I'm worried about is her reaction to what we did to her face. She barely said a word about it and hasn't spoken since. She also hasn't eaten even a quarter of what we gave her and it wasn't much at all."

"Perhaps I'll convince her to get something to eat," Kade started through the ward. "I also want to know if there was anything you could do to fix the sight in her eye?"

"Not a thing. Unless we gave her a-"

"Don't even start on that, please," Kade silenced Dekota. "Ask her about it and don't pressure her into anything she doesn't want to do. Was there anything to indicate that she is a rebel?"

"Nothing. From what we can tell, she is just a young bounty-hunter on her way to do a job," Dekota suddenly remembered something. "There was a small holopic in one of her pockets. I thought you might want to see it."

Dekota dug into one of her own pockets, produced the said holo, and handed it to Master Kade. Kade flipped it on and felt his heart nearly stop at the sight of Reanna's face.

"Sir?" Dekota's voice seemed distant. "Sir? Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Fine," Kade was very distracted. "I'll just go in to talk to her. Don't let anyone interrupt unless it is too important to wait"

Kade opened the door to the room the girl was resting in and entered. The girl lay there sleeping peacefully. She was facing towards him and he felt a stab of pity pierce his heart as he saw the cold metal that now covered the right half of her face. Before now, she must have been a true beauty with her oval face, full, bright red lips, high boned cheeks, almond shaped eyes, and light, mousey brown hair. But now, it was ruined by the shiny, silver, metal scales now placed strategically to keep her from dying.

As if she could sense he was in the room, she started stirring and her left eye fluttered open. She tensed as she saw him and bolted up. She opened her mouth as if to say something and then snapped it shut. Then again she open it.

"Master Kade, I presume?" Her words were curt and clipped.

"The one and only," Kade gave a mock bow. "And you would be?"

"What does it matter? I don't really have much reason to keep it anyways," The girl was more than bitter towards him. "It might actually be better to give up the name right now."

"Alright, we won't talk about that," Kade decided to tread carefully. "Can you tell me what happened to you? My men have gone over your ship twice and found nothing that could have wounded you so badly."

"Me and my partner did something semi illegal and someone didn't like it. We were heading to correct it, when we were attacked by the upset person. Turns out, she was under orders to capture my partner. I pushed some of the wrong buttons for the person and since they didn't have any orders about me, they decided to leave me on the ship with enough oxygen for a few days and a little something to remember them by. I'm pretty sure they only meant for it to scar, but her minions are apparently not very good with a vibroblade. Especially, when the ship is shaking because someone was firing on us."

"Okay. Why did you have a holopic of this woman on your person?"

"She's my sister," The girl said without hesitancy after only a glance at the holo. "Why? Is there something she's done."

"Now that I know is not true," Kade noticed how cool the girl remained even as he said those words. "The girl in the holo is Reanna Senona Starfield from the planet of Ondo. Her family consisted of Mr. Mack, Mrs. Desmia, Mianna Starfield, Desmond Nar, and Hope Starfield Nar. Four of those three are dead, and Mianna Starfield's description doesn't match you."

"How would you know?" a small flicker of fear passed at lightning speed through the girl's eyes. "The Starfields were never high enough in society to know someone like you."

"I did a little research on Miss. Reanna," Kade leaned up against the wall. "A very clean and moderate history."

"And why, pray tell, were you researching Reanna?"

"Is it just me, or did the conversation just shift from why you had this young woman's image on your person?" Kade decided to get back on tack. "Now, can you kindly explain why the image of a dead woman was found with you?"

"So it is true," the girl took on a depressed air. "I thought it was just something they thought up just to keep me from trying to find Reanna. I honestly didn't think it was true."

"It's true, alright. I identified her body and signed the death certificate. There is no way Reanna Starfield could be alive." Kade decided to cut his interveiw short and turned to leave.

"Since you called my bluff, I guess I should tell you my name. It' Miranda. Miranda Sk- Skyglyder." The girl's name sounded familiar, but Kade couldn't place it at the moment.

"And the holo?"

"I was Reanna's best friend and was trying to find her with my partner. My partner had no idea what Reanna looked like so I had a holo she could look at whenever she needed to refresh her memory on Reanna's face."

Kade stepped out of the room and back into the medical ward. Even the mention of Reanna drove tiny knives of pain right through his heart. He still had no idea why her death affected him so much. Maybe it was because she was the first female to actually not want a romantic relationship. Or maybe it was just because she was the first being ever to treat him like he was no better than anybody else.

Whatever the reason, it didn't really matter anymore. All the mattered now was ending this war with the rebels and pleasing the Emporer.

(^)

Three days. Three long, boring days of nothing but sitting in a holding cell waiting for something to happen. And waiting was something Striker had never been able to do very well.

The only person she ever saw was a fat, old twilek who came once a day to give Striker a small tray with some very questionable substances that mildly resembling food.

"For someone anxious to see me, this Madam sure is taking her own sweet time," Striker complained to herself. "Seriously, I've got places to and people to see and here and Madam are not one of them. This is just a waste of time! Aaahhh!" Striker kicked the durasteel wall in frustration and hurt her foot. "I hate being a prisoner!"

"A prisoner?" a smooth, silky voice sounded behind her. "Oh, please don't think of yourself as such. I think long term guest would be better. You're only in the cell to keep you from doing anything stupid and hurting yourself."

"I might've believed that if it hadn't been for the way your agent Starfield treated my partner," Striker felt a cold rage building up in her veins as she turned to face the woman who could only be Madam. "Miranda wasn't doing anything but being her usual smart-mouthed self and Starfield decided to leave her mark on my partner. The last I saw, the right side of her face was in shreds and her eye- I'm not even going to go there! All I know is that I'm not a guest and if I was, I wouldn't be staying here for very long!"

"You're so harsh," Madam's voice held a note of sarcastic hurt in it. "And there isn't even a reason to distrust me. I can't be held accountable for everything she does. I assure you, I had no knowledge of my protegé's actions until now. And now I know, she will be punished accurately. Come! You look like you could eat something better than what they serve down here."

_Why me?_ Striker thought silently to herself. _Why do I have to be the one everyone seems to know even though I'm probably on of the least successful mercenaries in the entire galaxy?_

"Actually, I think I'll just stay down here. I don't make it a habit to eat food I have not payed or worked for," Striker decided to stay safe. "Never know when someone is going to turn the tables on you. Better safe than sorry."

"You eat the food sent down to you."

"I wouldn't ever go as far as to say that the questionable substances I receive is really food," Striker sat down on the cot and crossed her legs. "Now, perhaps you could confirm something your agent told me. I was looking for someone. A Miss. Reanna Starfield. Your agent said that she was dead, and I just need it to be confirmed."

"I have no idea," Madam waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "From the reports, everything seems to point to that conclusion. Her height, weight, hair and eye colour, mediclorian count, and DNA all check out. There is nothing to indicate otherwise. But who knows? She had eight clones out in the galaxy trying to blend in, could've been one of those. Or it could've been her. I can't really tell until the clones start checking in at the end of this month."

"Reanna could be alive?" Striker exclaimed excitedly.

Their conversation was interrupted by an alarm suddenly blaring out in the halls. Madam's ice cold eyes hardened in annoyance as she heard it.

"Blast! Not again! How many times do we have to through this?" Madam rushed out of the room muttering some very choice curses under her breath. "Find the breach and double the normal punishment!"

Striker spent the next three weeks sitting alone in her cell. Madam made it a point to come down every two days to offer Striker a decent meal. She didn't understand why Madam kept doing this, it didn't make any sense. Why would Madam go to all that trouble to have her brought there, and then only offer Striker food? And then there was the matter of Reanna. The question of her existence swirled round and round. Was it possible Reanna was alive? Or was she truly dead and Madam had only said what she said to taunt Striker?

Striker didn't know. All she knew was that things in the galaxy were just becoming too complicated. And complicated ment the she had to place her own life on hold.

Striker smirked disdainfully at the thought of her own life. It had been nothing but trouble from the start.

Her mother, Tess, had been a great Force-User in the days where the Empire was still young and had apparently never been with any known man. But then she had been found pregnant and people had threatened to take her child away if she didn't reveal who the father was. In fear Tess had fled to a backwater planet in hopes of having her child in peace.

The birth had been hard and at one point Striker had nearly died because she was so small and weak. In the end, both mother and daughter survived. But Tess had left the minute she had been strong enough to travel without any indication she would be coming back.

Striker had spent three weeks in the medical centre before Roy had come to claim her. Apparently, Tess had asked him to pick Striker up and meet her on the lower levels of Coruscant so she could get her child back without much fuss.

Something went wrong and Tess never showed up leaving Roy to care for Striker. At first, Roy had tried to do his best and treat Striker like his daughter, but he had never had any experience on the field and little girls were completely alien to him. So, after a while, he no longer treated her as a daughter, but a young protegé to be trained without any affection or care other than the bare necessities. In short, her childhood had been somewhat lacking.

Then her-

A high pitched siren suddenly sounded and people began to shout and run down the hall. Striker rushed over to the door and pressed her ear up against it. It took her a few moments to understand what they were shouting, but when she did, she couldn't help but grin in joy and relief.

The Empire had come and was now raiding the main rebel base.

(^)

Again. Sorry it was so short, but I hope it gives you a little insight to Striker's past. If you have any ideas, suggestions, likes, or dislikes. I really want to know what you guys think and your pointing out what I need to work on is a great help to my writing.


	15. Chapter 15 The Raid

Miranda ignored Master Kade as he came in and finished strapping on her arm pieces. She had sat around long enough and was leaving today no matter what anyone told her.

"So you're as good as gone, then?" Master Kade's quiet voice sounded.

"Yeah. So?" Miranda shrugged. "No reason for me to stay. As far as I'm concerned, I'm just taking up space needed for others more seriously injured than I am. Also, I believe I have a partner in need of help."

"And how do you plan to find her?"

"I have a hunch I'll find her when I find Madam and her little sidekick," Miranda stood up and flexed the right side of her face still trying to get used to it. "And that'll be after I lose the family you so graciously called!"

"I thought they should know what was going on," Master Kade seemed unnaturally calm and was starting to grate on Miranda's nerves. "You are still kind of young to be out on your own."

"I'll bet you the first thing they'll do when they get here is ask if there is any way to fix my face. Then, they'll ask if there is a way to make it less noticeable. And after that, they'll take me back and arrange marriage with the first suitable man that'll have me no matter what his age is."

"You seem to have your family all figured out."

"I had to live with them for fifteen years of my life and that's a headache I don't want to go back to," Miranda started lacing up her sturdy boots. "Tell them I went to Tatooine and won't be back for a couple of months."

"I would if it were true. But I have a sneaky suspicion that you won't be on Tatoooine."

"Nope," Miranda let her first boot fall to the floor with a loud thump. "I told you, I'll be trying to lose them and then I'll be after Madam and her sidekick."

"You're sure you don't want to stay for the raid we're doing on the rebels main base?"

"Would I be able to participate?" Miranda was interested.

"If you can take care of yourself and you will stay here until your family arrives," Kade decided to see if she could negotiate. "Or, I can have you detained until they arrive. You are still a minor and I don't have a choice about letting you go off on your own."

"You're just saying that because I'm from a slightly high end family."

"I would hardly call being a member of the royal family on Orlo only slightly high end. What do you say to my offer?"

"Fine. I accept. By the way, how's _Starlight_? My partner would kill me if anything happened to her." Memory of Striker's need for her ship to always be perfect flooded through Miranda's mind.

"The hunk of junk is back to it's former glory," Master Kade stood up and started out of the room. "I'll send someone to get you when we reach the base. Don't try to leave these quarters. It'll only make things difficult and that is the last thing I need at the moment."

The door slid shut before Miranda could answer and she felt herself grow even more annoyed with Master Kade and his habit of walking out before she was done speaking with him. It had been going on like this from the first time he had come to see her. He would come in start a conversation and walk right out in the middle of it. Like he was afraid to finish a conversation because it might hurt him.

Whatever the reason, it still wasn't a good excuse for showing bad manners. After all, as third-in-command he would have been drilled constantly in all protocols for political purposes and would be made to practice whenever he had the chance.

"Oh, these next days are going to be so relaxing." Miranda said sarcastically as she rubbed her head tiredly. "So relaxing."

(^)

Kade groaned once more as he thought about how the rebel base they were after was on a resort planet. This was not going to look good on his report. The Emperor was going to be so displeased when he found out. It was one thing to root out rebels, another thing entirely when he raided a well known resort planet with hundreds of wealthy people vacationing there.

_Okay. _Kade corrected his thoughts._ The Emperor is going to be furious about this and probably not very forgiving._

"Sir," Admiral Sor'ini came up behind him. "The Emperor demands you make contact."

"Tell him my communicators busted and I'm training." _That ought to keep him at bay for a little while at least. _Kade thought to himself. _Unless he is his normal self. Ugh! I'm really in for it now._

"Lieutenant Quinlan!" Kade decided it was high time to get rid the spy that had been plaguing his ship for months. "Come with me, if you please."

Kade could tell she was confused and a little uneasy about this, but she silently complied. He waited until they were off the bridge to start his interrogation.

"So, Lieutenant," Kade started. "I've heard you've been up to things lately. I was wondering if it was anything I should know about?"

"Of course not, sir," Quinlan tried to look shocked the Kade would even think such a thing. "Why would you suspect I was?"

"After the late night calls to someone off ship and information leaking to the rebels? Not to mention how you mutter about this being almost over every time I give you kitchen duty for being sloppy in your work. What being over Lieutenant?" they reached the corridors without much personnel around. "Your mission to assassinate me?"

Kade spun around and caught the hand with the vibroblabe that had begun it's deadly decent. He squeezed and started to bend it the wrong way.

"Drop it!" Kade's order was low and menacing. His grip became tighter after a few more minutes of her silence and he realized just how stubborn Quinlan was. It wasn't until he was nearly breaking her arm the she let the blade fall to the floor. Her face was a mask of pain and she could no longer stop the cries of pain that reached her lips.

"There!" Quinlan's voice was tight. "Now can you let go? You're breaking my arm."

"I don't know about that. I normally don't make it a habit to take orders from someone that just tried to kill me! But, I think I'll make an exception just this once," Kade released her arm. "Now, who is your contact?"

"Go to Hoth!"

"Why? Is there a base there?" Quinlan didn't reply. "Can you please make this easier on yourself and just tell me who your contact is? I don't like the idea of signing your discharge, followed shortly be your death certificate."

"Death certificate?"

"You are considered a traitor to the Empire now. Traitors are executed and I can't do anything about it unless the said traitor is willingly forthcoming with useful information," Kade noticed Quinlan was starting to look slightly scared. Obviously, she wasn't informed of what would happen to her if she was caught when she joined the rebellion. "Otherwise, it is hours of torture with no relief unless you tell us all you know. And after that, execution."

_Poor girl, _Kade thought to himself,_ She's only nineteen and I'm trying to terrify her into telling me all she knows. But what I am telling her is true and she should know what she's facing as a spy._

"I can't," Quinlan looked terrified. "I took an oath that I can't break."

"Quinlan, will the rebellion kill you if you break it?"

"Yes."

_That explains why we've had so much trouble getting any rebel to talk. They all know they're going to die anyways so they don't even try to talk. Blast! I wish we had this information before! So many lives wouldn't have been lost in battle!_

"Quinlan, we can protect you from them. We can give you a new identity, life story, and face. All you have to do is tell us what you know and then we'll give you the protection needed to keep you alive."

"No amount of protection could keep me alive," Quinlan's hand went unconsciously to the back of her neck. "They've already seen to that."

Kade sensed danger only a split second before Quinlan suddenly cried out and fell to the floor as if she was having a seizure. Kade took out his comlink and called for help, but by the time they arrived, there was nothing anyone could do for Quinlan.

(^)

Another bolt of electricity shot through her body causing more pain to her injuries. Her cracked ribs made it nearly impossible for her to breathe and her open wounds were smoking.

_Serves me right for breaching security all those times and forgetting to disarm the alarms._

"AAAAHHH!" She screamed as another bolt tore threw her body. She was actually quite surprised she was even conscious at this point. You would think that after nine hours of torture with no relief she would be nearly dead. But nooo, she had to be resilient to the torture and stay awake for the whole time.

_I hate my life._

_RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!_

She screamed even louder as the high pitched alarm assaulted her ears. Was this a new kind of torture or was there really something wrong?

"We've been discovered! Get the prisoners on the ship! Take off even if you don't have any clearance! We need these prisoners to overthrow the Empire!" Madam's voice snapped like a whip. "Hurry!"

The pain stopped and she blacked out she was so overwhelmed with relief. She didn't know how long she was out, but when she opened her eyes there was someone standing over her undoing the bonds that kept her strapped to the long slab of metal she was laying on.

The last bond fell away and her foot shot up catching the person in the jaw. She ignored the pain in her ribs and jumped up to finish the person off. This was too good a chance to escape for her to pass up.

"Sorry," she said as she hit the person over the head and knocked them completely unconscious. "But I'm tired of being a lab rat and going through torture every time I do something wrong."

She looked up and noticed the smell of smoke and the sound of people shouting as they ran passed the door to the lab. A raid?

"Yes!" she yelled triumphantly. "It worked!"

She smiled as she thought about the stunt she had pulled that had got her into the torture situation. She had discovered a breach in security three days prior and had exploited it. Since she didn't know the layout of the base, she had wound up in the conveniently empty communications room instead of the hanger. Thinking it might be better to lead the Empire there instead of just trying to escape, she made all the communicators go berserk in hopes that someone would pick it up. Apparently she had been right.

She stood up and started staggering towards the door. If she could just get out and lay low for a little while she might be able to get out of this. She pushed the button and the door remained closed. She kept pushing it harder and harder until she smashed it to pieces she was punching it so hard.

"Open! Please just open!" she started screaming at the door. "OPEN!"

The door stood steadfast and refused to budge. In near panic, she ran along the walls of the lab trying to find another exit. There were none other than the one she had smashed the only way to open it.

The smoke was now pouring through the ventilation shafts and it was getting harder to breathe. She went back to the door and started pounding on it in hopes someone would hear and get the door open.

(^)

Miranda angrily stomped onto _Starlight._ Master Kade had given her the slip and left without her using the excuse she was not only a minor, but also had to get used to her new look.

"It takes a lot more than a simple handicap to get me out of a fight," Miranda started flipping switches like Striker had showed her to. "Besides, Striker is always finding ways to avoid any confrontation with the Empire. I'll just get her out, if she's there, and get out of there before Master Kade noticed her presence.

Of course, making her presence go unnoticed was a lot easier said than done. She had barely been down on the raid twenty minutes, when Master Kade was suddenly beside her.

"I thought you were supposed to to remain on the _Conquerer_ until I returned?"

"You aren't my father, mother, or brother! So, just leave me alone and I'll take care of myself!"

"My hands are tied in the matter!"

"Then say I snuck down here and you had no idea I did until I was long gone. Watch out!" Miranda lunged and deflected a vibroblade. "See ya later."

"Where are you going?"

"To see if my partner is around. I have a feeling she'll-"

"What on earth are you doing here, Miranda?" Striker was beside her. "And what did they do to your face?"

"Just shut your mouth and fight!" Miranda didn't feel like discussing her face at the moment. "Also, let's get out of here as soon as we or I'll be stuck on his ship waiting for my family to show up."

"Miranda, I think Reanna might still be alive and in this very base!"

"That's not possible!" Master Kade hated the fact the Reanna was being brought back up again and again. "I saw her body and confirmed it was her. Reanna Starfield is dead!"

"Then it wouldn't hurt to look to see she isn't here." Striker went on babbling on about something, but Kade's attention was diverted by the sound of someone calling out in frstration.

_Blast! Blast! Blast! And double blast! You would think someone on my side could hear me! ARG!_

"...and than-"

"Sh! Do you hear that?" Kade asked the two girls fighting along side him.

"Hear what? There are a lot of sounds going on right now. Which one are you talking about?" Miranda asked.

"Someone with very bad language asking why no one on their side was able to hear them." Kade ellaberated. "There it is again! Whoa! That's a word I would never use even to a bantha's backside!"

"Why don't you start to follow that sound and we'll follow?" Striker suggested. "Since you are the only person to hear what they are saying, it seems like the only logical course of action."

"I would, but I have no idea where it is coming from."

"Duck!" Miranda warned Striker and Kade. "Then why did you bring it up?"

"It sounds really familiar. Wait! Over there!"

The trio took off in the direction Kade said the voice was coming from and soon realized it as leading them away from the battle and back into the halls Kade's men had already swepted through. The went further and further until they were right outside the hangers and an angry voice was shouting abuse at someone.

"...let me go! Let go and I might consider visiting Madam one of these days! Willingly!" These words were followed by a long stream of curses and name calling fit to make a space pirate blush, and then the sound of a punch being thrown and connecting with somebody's body.

The three rounded the corner to see two big men standing over a doubled over woman, who was gasping for breath. Kade and the girls rushed forwards. Kade and Striker quickly disposed of the two men, while Miranda went over to the woman to see if she could help.

"Hey - gasp - Mira," Reanna weakly smiled as she found herself in her best friend's arms. "Long - gasp - time - gasp - no see. Like - gasp - what - gasp - you did - gasp - with the - gasp- face."

Reanna's head fell back and her body went limp. Her breathing was laboured, every centimeter of her skin that was showing was covered in bruises, and the few cuts she had bled furiously, but Miranda couldn't remember being so glad to see Reanna.

"We need to get her to the medical ward as fast as possible!" Kade came over and scooped Reanna into his arms. "There's no telling the full extent of her injuries and she could probably die at any moment."

(^)

From a distance, Madam watched in anger as Master Kade took Reanna and Striker out onto his shuttle. Her plan had been working wonderfully until Reanna had somehow gotten into the communications room and sent those signals. But now she would have to start from scratch again!

Oh! How she hated it when that happened! Everything would be going smoothly, and then some dimwitted person like Master Kade would come and ruin the whole operation!

"The day I win this war, Kade, is the day I have you publicly executed in the most gruesome way I can think up! And then you will be followed shortly by everyone else that has dared stand against me!"

(^)

Yes, Reanna is obviously alive. You didn't really expect me to cut her off did you? The whole story is about her! And if you're wondering what was with all that gasping she did, she was punched in the ribs that are broken and a few punctured her lungs.

Back to the usual stuff, if you have anything to say about the story don't hesitate to review. I find reviews are very helpful in understanding what people think about my story.


	16. Chapter 16 Miranda's Parents

She had to remember, but it was being lost in a mist of fog. She had to remember so she could tell Kade. She just had to! She reached out to hold onto the memory, but it slipped through her fingers and was soon lost in the mist.

"No!" Reanna screamed out in pain as she sat up and clutched her ribs. "Uha! Oh, ah! Youch!"

"Lay back. for heaven's sake!" gentle but firm hands pushed her back. "Your lungs have been punctured enough and we've only just gotten your ribs back in place. Master Kade would be most upset with us if we let you injure yourself more than you already are. Just lay back and relax. You may feel a little tired because the sedative we gave you hasn't fully worn off."

"Where's Master Kade? I must speak with him!" Reanna tried taking her oxygen mask off.

"Leave that on! He's looking over the information on the rebel's computers. We haven't ever had as much of a success when it comes to raids! Master Kade thinks we might get enough information to end this war for good."

"No amount of information he finds on those computers will catch the leader," Reanna shivered at the memory of that horrible woman. "There are several small bases she could go to that don't get listed anywhere at all."

A door hissed open and Reanna jerked her head over to see who it was. A sigh of relief passed through her lips when she saw it was Kade.

"How's the patient doing?" He asked the woman sitting beside Reanna.

"Aside from almost al her ribs broken, a broken arm, a concussion, several burns around her wounds, and she has just had a bit of internal bleeding stopped, I would say she is doing very well."

"Kade!" Reanna tried again to sit up, but failed miserably. "What took you so long to get to the base? You were only a day away."

"We ran into a little problem," Kade gave a sideways glance at the nurse. "Leave us!"

"Sir, I don't think-"

"I'll deal with your superiors. Now leave!" the nurse nodded and left the room. Then, Kade turned to Reanna and let his stern mask fall. "Can you please explain something to me? Your body was found in my shuttle with a blaster shot in your head. I had it thoroughly examined and everything checked out."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

"Number one. Obviously, it wasn't my body or I wouldn't be here right now. Number two. My mediclorian count is wrong in the records with a negative lower than average. That should have shown up. And number three. I may decide to do many things, but suicide is not one of them."

"Then who was it they buried on Ondo?"

"I think I might know," Reanna shuddered. "You have heard of Madam, right?"

"That rich widow from Naboo that had the three husbands?"

"That's her. Did you know she is running an illegal cloning operation?"

"She's what?"

"Madam uses leading the rebellion as a cover. She took my DNA when I was a baby and has been making clones of me ever since. The only problem was that the clones each took on a one trait of mine and one trait only. So some would be over aggressive, others too nice, and still other were apparently over sarcastic. Madam became frustrated and decided to test what was wrong with them, but in order to do that she had to test me as well."

"Why is she cloning you in the first place?"

"Because she wants the process to be perfected so she can clone someone called Striker without much hassle. Why? I never heard that part. I was usually unconscious by the time they got to that part."

Reanna felt her eyes start to close, but she forced them to stay open. Kade seemed to notice this, because he was suddenly holding her hand and telling her to sleep.

"Don't wanna sleep," Reanna mumbled. "Need to tell you about...about..."

"You can tell me when you wake up. I'll be here. I promise."

(^)

"Is there any way I can coax you into telling me what you learned while you were visiting the rebels?" Miranda asked a very distracted Striker. "Like why Mianna told us that her sister was dead when she knew full well that that wasn't true."

"Mianna didn't know," Striker felt the need for something very strong to drink. "I need to get to a bar or at least find the lounge on this ship. Do you have any idea where it is? I'm parched as Tatooine on a summers day."

"What do you mean Mianna didn't know? You don't keep something like that a secret from three hundred people all in one base!"

"You do if you can alter the blueprints just enough so it is a little bigger than it should be, then you can add a small room and nobody would notice. Don't ask how I know, I just do. Now, about that lounge..."

Miranda wasn't listening. The nurse had just come out of Reanna's room and by the look on her face, Miranda knew something had happened. She walked over to the nurse.

"She woke up, but it won't be long until she's asleep again. If you want to see her, go right on in. But Master Kade is in there, so I'm begging you. If he is asleep, don't disturb him."

Miranda cocked her head to the side in question of what the nurse had just asked her, but didn't say anything. She heard Striker behind her snorting in barely controlled laughter. The nurse didn't seem to take it that well.

"Perhaps you're friend would like to take an officers place on the bridge when he is short on sleep and when the Emporer is constantly hounding him. I'm sure she could use the time in the kitchen."

"Kitchen? I thought you said officer on the bridge?" Striker was sounding insolent.

"That's where you would be sent after your shift to scrub the dishes for being insolent." The nurse sounded annoyed as she turned sharply and walked off.

"What's her problem?" Striker muttered as if she hadn't done anything.

Miranda rolled her eyes and went into the room Reanna was resting in. She was a little surprised to see Master Kade sitting in a chair beside Reanna, completely passed out and holding her best friend's hand. Miranda wondered what exactly the nature of their relationship was.

"Mira?" Reanna's voice was quiet and cracked slightly. "What are you doing here? And what happened to your face?"

"I thought you were asleep." Mianda pulled up a chair and sat beside her friend.

"It was merely a doze," Reanna's black and blue cheeks drew up into a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting to see how you recover and waiting for my family to get here so Master Kade will give Striker the engine to her ship back! How anyone could stand staying with this man for even a day, I'll never know. He's way too uptight and by the books."

"Be nice," Reanna winced as she laughed. "It's the way he was raised. And letting a minor go on her own without checking to see if her family is allowing it or if she's running away wouldn't look good on his record. Now what happened to your face? Did you finally decide the old look was too delicate for your line of work?"

"Mianna is what happened!" Miranda spat and then regretted it when Reanna looked like she had been slapped. "Reanna, I'm sorry. But Mianna has changed drastically since the last time you saw her. I was trying to find you and Mianna attacked my ship. I annoyed her and her temper blew. She had one of her little minions take vibroblade to it. Now I can't see from my right eye."

"Mira, I- I don't know what to say. I had no idea she was capable of something like that."

"Don't worry about," Miranda gave a slightly lopsided smile. "It's not your fault. What's with you and Master Kade here? You've been awake for quite a while and you're still holding his hand."

Reanna smiled and gripped Kade's hand a little tighter. She wasn't in the slightest embarrassed by the fact that she was holding the third most powerful man's hand as if she was his sister or girlfriend.

"You're going to be a little surprised at this, but he is my master."

"Master as in?"

"Owner and mentor. I've been living with him for the past while and he's been teaching me about the ways of the Force. He's kind of like my older overprotective brother."

"You're still a slave?" Mianda sounded incredulous. "I thought Master Kade wasn't supposed to have slaves! So why are you his slave?"

"Keep your voice down!" Reanna scolded as Kade began to stir. "His eyes are completely red from lack of sleep. And as to why he has a slave, he was tricked into taking me and now he can't set me free for a few more months. Don't ask about why. It's slightly complicated."

Miranda cocked her head to the side, but didn't push the matter. Instead, she started talking about her partner, Striker, and their misadventures trying to get into Senator Rackon's mansion.

Reanna cringed as Miranda described how she and Striker tried to get into the mansion. The way they had gone in was the one way Reanna would never recommend anyone to go through. Infact, she would go as far to say that it was the place where you would be most likely to get caught.

"For future reference, go in through the back door. The cameras are disabled so Rackon's mistresses can come and go without getting caught on tape."

"Miranda?" Striker poked her head inside the room. "Miranda, an officer is out here asking to see Master Kade about a certain group of people that just docked in a hanger. Some very rich people of great political influence on the planet of Orlo."

"I'll see you later, Reanna. Try and get some rest," Miranda started out of the room with Striker. "Now, have you found out where the lounge is? Because I suddenly have this urge to go somewhere I've never gone before."

Reanna smiled in amusement. Leave it to Miranda to do anything and going anywhere to avoid spending time in her families presence. Apparently, the Skyglyders were a very uptight and pompose family. So pompose, they only cared about marrying every one of their children to the highest family they could possibly arrange.

"Kade?" she started shaking his hand. "Kade, you need to wake up. Kade, Miranda's family is here and they won't want to be kept waiting."

"Huh? Who?" Kade sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"The Skyglyders are here," Reanna smiled. "And Miranda has beat a hasty retreat with her friend to find the lounge. I suggest you hurry to greet them and find Mianda before they decide to file a complaint against you for keeping them waiting for longer than necessary."

"Are they really that bad?"

"That's what Reanna says, but she is a little biased."

(^)

The scowl on Miranda's face was enough to tell Kade that she was not at all pleased about meeting her family. He could almost swear that she could curdle milk just by looking at it.

"You have given Striker her engine back, haven't you?" Miranda's voice was tight.

"She's installing it this very minute," Kade assured the tense girl. "I'm not that much of a wet blanket. I just have to follow procedure or get really bad publicity. And really bad publicity would make it harder to capture rebels and justly punish them."

The doors in front of them opened and Kade was nearly blinded by the bright colours the royal family were wearing. Kade leaned slightly towards Miranda.

"Is this a special occasion?" He whispered questioningly in her ear.

"No, this is how they always dress. They really like standing out in a crowd and bright colours are a way to do that. It gets even worse during the spring festival, if you can believe that."

"I honestly can't."

"Miranda, darling!" Miranda was suddenly caught up in the rib crushing embrace of her mother. "We were so worried about you! Where were you? What on earth were you wearing? And that horrid colour?"

"It's called armor, Mother. The colour is forest green. Now, if we're done here, I have a previous engagement I need to get to. Hope you have a good life and hope I never see you again. Good-by!"

"Miranda!" she winced at the sound of her father's very stern voice. "We are not finished. Master Kade, do you have a room we can discuss things in privately? I'm not sure we want to have a shouting match here in the hall."

"Yeah, sure," Kade walked over to a door on his left. "I'll make sure no one disturbs you."

Miranda stomped into the small conference room and plopped down into the chair furthest from the door. Her parents followed and took seats on the other side of the table. They didn't say anything. Miranda was still furious with her parents, and Mr. and Mrs. Skyglyder didn't know where to begin in their scolding.

"So, you travelled halfway across the galaxy to just sit here trying to stare me into submission? Sorry, but I've met two other people with more intimidating stares than you've ever been able to conjure up. If you have anything to say to me, just say it."

"Where do we begin?" Mr. Skyglader asked. "You refused to follow the protocol we taught you and insulted every suitor that came by your harsh refusals, making no one want to even consider courting you. Then, when we finally did find someone who would take you, you insulted his entire family name. He bore the insult with honor and integrity and agreed to go with the marriage anyway. You didn't like this and ran away as soon you recieved your allowance you ran away and started training in one of the most disagreeable professions. Now look at what you've become! A creditless bounty-hunter with only half a face! Was it really worth it?"

"Yes! And I'll gladly lose the other side of my face if it means I won't have to marry the senator!" Miranda shuddered at the thought of being that perverts wife. "He already had four different mistresses and a slavegirl. Why would I want to be caught up in that mess?"

"Those accusations have never been proven and if they are true, you are still quite lucky he is still willing to marry you and give you a good name!"

"I don't care!" Miranda's voice was loud and angry. "I'm not marrying that scum! I wouldn't marry him if the galaxy was ending and I alone could save it! If that is all you're going to say, then you might as well just go back to Orlo and marry Marianett off to him! Because I have a new life and I like it just the way it is. I"m much more happy now than I ever have been before. Now, I have to get going. I'll send you a post-holo whenever I can, give my love to Uncle Tomling and Aunt Polly. Good-bye!"

The Skyglyders didn't have any time to protest before Miranda had left the room. There was a shocked silence between them as they wondered why their daughter had defied them so. Never in their experience as parents had any of their children defied them so. The others would obey them without question and knew that their parents knew best. Even their eldest daughter hadn't put up this much of a fight when they had married her off to one of their richest and best supporters, instead of the man she had truly wanted to marry.

Meanwhile, Miranda was seething as she marched furiously towards the hanger where Striker was working to install her engine. The nerve of her parents was unbelievable! Sometimes, Miranda believed they had cut out their hearts just so they wouldn't feel any regret when they destroyed their children's lives.

"I knew this meeting wouldn't go over well," Miranda moaned to herself. "They just aren't capable of caring about what I want. They always have to think about themselves."

She came to the door to the hanger and walked in. Striker was just coming down the ramp wiping her hands on a rag when Miranda entered. She looked at Miranda and a devious smile crossed her face.

"I'll go get the clearance to leave," Striker jerked her head to the inside of the ship. "There is a small compartment in the engine room near the reactors. The door handle looks like the spare on a hook beside them. Just don't grab one of the working reactors, or we'll be here a little longer."

"Right. I'm just going to go say good-bye to Reanna. It shouldn't take me more than a few minutes."

"Fine. But don't let anyone catch you or they'll lock you up until your parents are ready to leave," Strker warned. "And personally, I kind of like having a partner. So don't get caught."

Miranda smiled and started out of the hanger again.

(^)

Reanna had fallen asleep again when she vaguely became aware of someone in her room. She opened her eyes just a crack and saw Miranda standing uncertainly by the door. She sensed Miranda was feeling tense and worried about something.

"What's up?" She asked sleepily.

"Reanna!" Miranda was slightly surprised. "I didn't think you were awake!"

"Well I am. What's wrong, Mira?"

"I'm leaving in a few minutes. I just wanted to say good-bye. I probably won't see you again for a while, and contacting each other won't be ideal until I'm eighteen."

"May your career be full of bounties, credits, and many years of life." Reanna started an old bounty-hunter parting saying.

"And may we meet again under the stars of friendship," Miranda finished it. "Take care of yourself, Reanna. Get away from here as soon as you can. And if you can't, just give me a call and I'll help as best I can."

"I won't need your assistance for a little while yet," Reanna was very sure. "Is my secure account still intact?"

"Yes. And everyone who ever borrowed money from you has put the owed money into it. There'll be enough for your ship when you go to buy it."

"Thanks, Mira. Your the best."

(^)

Thanks for taking the time to read this. Sorry about the wait. I have no excuses except that I was slacking off (I seem to be doing that a lot lately). If you have any ideas, suggestions, likes, or dislikes, you can click the reveiw buttun and let me know.


	17. Chapter 17 Gence

Four months flew by and Reanna recovered from her imprisonment. She bore many scars, her ribs were very sensitive, and her lungs no longer had the capacity they used to, but other than that, she would have no lasting effects from the torture she had endured.

Madam vanished without a trace, but everyone knew she was still active. More and more people were joining the rebellion and she started sending even more spies to infiltrate the Empires nets.

Kade's life became hectic as he tried to track down Madam and rebels became more bold and started raiding mines, bases, and planets loyal to the Empire. It soon got to the point where Kade could barely turn around without some rebel trying to assassinate him and someone calling for aid. He also worries about Reanna and what she'll do as soon as he signs her papers, releasing her from slavery.

Striker and Miranda soon became known as "The Deadly Dou" on account that they never failed any job. Miranda changed her name to Mira Sunburner to throw her family off until her eighteenth birthday. Though she was constantly able, she never did keep her promise to her parents about sending postholos. She always said she had better things to do with her money than waste it on her family. She has also been receiving some very cryptic notes.

Striker didn't really have much of anything change for her. She was still absolutely clueless about why Madam had wanted her prisoner, and she was no closer to finding out what had happened to her mother (sorry if I didn't mention she was trying to find her mother before). One thing that had sure changed about her, though, was that she actually missed Millie. Never before in her life did she really let herself get as attached to someone as Millie, and now she found herself wishing she could see the little baby again.

Mianna Starfield was learning that joining the rebellion might not have been her best move. She listened to some of the plans of attack and felt sick when she realized they would be attacking a small defenseless village or a cruise ship to get supplies. The pain of losing all her family didn't help. While Reanna had been missing, Mianna had been able to carry on in hopes of one day finding her sister. But now even Reanna was dead and Mianna was alone, except for a small baby she had almost no time for. To top all of this, she could barely live with herself over the guilt of what she had done to the young bounty-hunter was almost killing her. The only thing keeping her from taking her own life was the sense of duty she felt for the infant, but even her resolve in that was beginning to weaken.

Anna had been given the rank of captain and was now in command of her own ship, _Oblivian_, on account that there weren't enough people experienced enough to take up the position. She never told anyone about Reanna, but had come close quite a few times. Especially when Reanna's death had been all over the news She still hadn't heard anything from Kade on the matter, and assumed it was true. Anna still hadn't found anything about the young, masked bounty-hunter that called herself Striker. She only knew that Striker wasn't a loner anymore and her partner only had half a face.

Lord Rane was desperately trying to train enough captains, so his daughter would be able to quite commanding a ship and lose the risk of dying in battle. But, as the days fly by and the Emperor keeps saying the captains aren't ready, he soon knows that his daughter will remain in command throughout the rest of the war. On top of commanding half of the Imperial fleet and training new captains, the Emperor has given him a young, blood-thirsty, Force-sensative man to train.

(^)

"You are officially free to go and do as you please!" Kade handed Reanna her papers. "With the exception of illegal activities."

"Finally!" Reanna tried to sound annoyed at how long it took, but failed miserably as her eyes twinkled and her voice was amused. "I was beginning to think that I would never be a free woman again. Thank-you, Kade. I don't know where I would be without you watching out for me."

"I think I could give a good guess," Kade liked the rays of excitement coming out of Reanna's eyes. "What are your plans now? You going to go ahead with bounty-hunting like you planned? Or have you figured something else out?"

"Plans, yeah," Reanna turned serious. "I was waiting until you signed my release forms before I told you. The rebellion is a good idea about overthrowing the Emperor, but their leader is quite corrupted. I was thinking if I could get into the rebellion as a spy and slowly work my way up to the top, I could catch her and bring her to justice. All I'd need to do is change my identity, hair, and a little bit of my face, and I could get in. I would like to do it legally and the only way that can happen is i-."

"No," Kade sounded strangely adamant about this. "We have enough spies working undercover. Another one would make it even easier for the rest to be discovered."

"Kade, you know that's not true. None of your spies know who the others are. Besides, I wouldn't technically be one of them. Most of them are there to give you information about where they are gong to strike next. Only a select few are there for other more interesting missions."

"You've been reading my files!" Kade accused.

"Had nothing better to do since you won't let me train for another month," Reanna shrugged. "Kade, if I can just learn Madam's location, the war can be over by the end of the year."

"No."

"Why not?" Reanna was slightly frustrated with Kade's answer. Kade didn't replay "Fine! I don't have to go through you! I can just go to Lord Rane and get clearance from him!"

Reanna left the room and was halfway down the hall before Kade caught up with her. She had no idea why he was suddenly so protective of her, but whatever the reason, she didn't need it. She needed to help end this war and the only way she could do this was if she went undercover. Couldn't Kade see this?

"Rea, please think about this. You've only just gotten out of the medical centre and you want to go join the rebels? That isn't-"

"Can you give me one good reason why I shouldn't? All I've heard so far is excuses as to why you don't want me to. But can you give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't do this? It can't be about my health or things that are just regular procedure, it has to be a real reason."

"Alright," Kade agreed and Reanna stopped to listen. "Is once you're in you can't get out a good reson?"

"Kade-"

"Just hear me out! A young lieutenant used to work on the bridge. She was a nice girl, talented in her work. But she tended to be a bit sloppy. I talked to her about it but she never listened, so I looked closer into the matter and found she was a rebel spy. I confronted her and she nearly told me everything I needed to know, but she started having seizures before she could say anything. She was dead before the medics could get there. After examination, a small transmitter was found implanted in her body. My pathologist looked into this and found similar implants in every single rebel we've ever captured." Kade noticed the interested look in Reanna's eyes. "It's there to make sure no rebel ever betrays the rebellion and if they do, it kills them."

"And you think that's what is going to happen to me?" Reanna felt a little sorry about her attitude towards Kade. "Kade, if they are anything like slave transmitters, I can get rid of it easily."

"That's the problem. They are nothing like slave transmitters! I've had experts go over them again and again, but they have found nothing!"

"Those experts aren't me. Do you have one of those things on you?"

"Here."

Reanna went back to her quarters and started tinkering with the tiny device. She sat there for hours figuring out what was what on the transmitter and it wasn't until after Kade had gone to bed that she had the whole thing figured out. By that time, her eyes were heavy and she didn't feel like moving to her room. So, she just sat there and was soon dreaming.

(^)

Someone had once told Striker that she would never get very far without sleeping at least once with a man. After three years of doing her job, Striker was inclined to disagree. There was no reason to do that. All you had to do was pretend to be interested in their business and give them some wine with a certain drug in it and they would soon be talking your ear off about every illegal thing their company has ever done.

So why was this important right now, you ask? Striiker had no clue. Funny things seem to always run through your head when you are about to die. Maybe she was thinking about this because Mira was starting to hang out a lot with a young man they had teamed up with to complete their last job a couple of weeks ago. Or maybe it was because Mira hadn't come back to the ship last night and when she did come in the morning, she looked like she had been run over by a speeder and wouldn't tell Striker what she had been doing.

Striker felt the rail she was holding onto give a little more. She glanced down into the energy core she was hanging over and shivered in fear. Never had she been like this close to death before. Not even when she was being held down and a vibroblade had been slowly slicing through her neck had she been this close. At least then, she had be able to kick her attacker where it hurts and get away. But here, she was hanging off of a broken railing with no immediate way of getting out of this mess.

"Striker? Striker are you here?" Mira's voice was almost to quiet to hear over the humming of the energy core. "Striiker, if you are ignoring me on purpose, I'm going back to the ship and taking the levers out of the entrance!"

"I'm here!" Striker shouted at the top of her lungs. "And if you dare touch my ship, I'll pound you so bad, you won't be able to move for a month! Now come get me out of this mess!"

The sound of Mira's boots came closer and soon she was leaning out over the edge of the catwalk with a very angry and confused look on her face.

"How in the blazes did you get down there?" She was shocked that Striker would ever wind up in this kind of situation.

"Does it matter? Just get me up!"

"That's not possible," Mira quickly assessed it. "If I try to pull you up the rail will fall and you'll be fried."

"Great. Can you see another way?"

"That catwalk just below you seems to be the only way. But there is nothing to keep you from falling past it. Maybe if I can..." Mira put a small harpoon in her blaster and shot at the catwalk. It missed.

_Creek! _The rail gave away even more as Mira tried to get the line back. Striker watched in despair as Miranda slowly got the line back and tried again. Though it was close, it wasn't enough.

"Mira!" the rail gave away even more. "I'm going to fall! Can you hurry with whatever you're doing?"

"I'm going as fast as I can! Just hold on!"

"You think I'm going to let go? Hurry! It's going to-"

The rail was almost completely ripped out of it's holdings. Seeing Mira would never relaunch the harpoon again in time, Striker closed her eyes and concentrated. If she could fall just the right way, she was sure she could make it onto the catwalk.

The rail gave way and Striker felt herself falling. She reached her hands out, knowing she wouldn't land on the catwalk, and soon felt the sharp metal digging into her hands as she stopped her deadly descent. She opened one eyes and pulled herself up on the catwalk. As soon as she knew she was safe, she collapsed and started shaking in relief and fear of what could have happened.

A few minutes later, she heard Mira's worried voice asking if she was all right and if she was hurt anywhere. Something in Striker suddenly snapped and before she knew it, she was spewing out the anger and frustration that had been building up over the last few years.

"No I'm not, _ALL RIGHT! _" Striker shouted angrily at her friend. "My life has been in the pits since the day of my birth! I can't find anything about my mother! I'm stuck doing small jobs for some of the worst slime in the galaxy! And I have a partner who can't stay focused on her job, because she is too busy making eyes at some small time smuggler! Does that sound like ALL RIGHT to you?"

Silence hung heavy in the air and Striker was beginning to think Mira had just been a figment of her imagination, when she heard a depressed sigh.

"I'll be in the bar beside the hanger. Come talk to me when you're in a better mood." Mira's footsteps receded in the direction of the exit.

(^)

The walk to the bar wasn't long, but it did give Mira some time to think. Striker had been acting a little strange lately. But nothing could indicate that she would blow up like this. Maybe it was because she had been very distracted of late trying to understand the notes someone had been sending her.

"Hey, Mira," Gence Dale came over and threw his arm around Mira's shoulders. "You look like you could use some unwinding time. Was it really that bad?"

"Not only did Striker try to do the job by herself, but she somehow got herself knocked off a catwalk and was hanging by a weak rail," Mira rubbed her new, silver eyepatch and wished again that her sight was still there. "She fell, managed to catch a catwalk just under her, and then had an emotional break-down. In all honesty, I think the whole thing could have been avoided if she had gone with the original plan. Sometimes I think she is a rebellious teen-ager instead of a mature adult. You know she thinks we are interested in a romantic relationship with each other?"

"No?" Gence led the way to the bar and signaled for two drinks. "I don't think I'd ever be in that kind of relationship with you. Not saying that you aren't a nice girl, but I like to keep relations as related as they already are. Now, here's to many good years of business."

"Speaking of business, have many of your jobs been difficult lately? I mean, your job isn't a profession I would ever really try to get into."

"I lost eight clients last month because I refused to murder innocent children," Gence downed his drink with one swig. "You would think that after reading my contract they would understand that I don't assassinate children to get back at their parents. But each one thought that I would make an exception just that once for a few extra credits. They don't seem to realize that I don't like the thought of killing young children who have barely had a chance at life."

"Sounds tough." Miranda refused the next drink wanting to stay sober for a little while at least.

Gence rolled his eyes and changed the subject. Three hours, who knows how many drinks later, Mira and Gence were still sitting at the bar talking. Mira was slightly inebriated, but not enough so she had lost control of her bodies, when Striker finally showed up. Her eyes were red, and she looked pale, but other than that she looked completely fine now. Just to be sure, Mira turned and knowing her words were slightly slurred, asked the obvious question.

"You ready to go, yet?"

"Just after I get a drink," Striker signaled the bartender for a drink. "Gence, don't you have some job to do on some other planet?"

"Not at the moment, Strikes. But I might have one in the mornin'."

Striker rolled her eyes and took a swig of her drink. She really didn't like Gence or his carefree manner. Not to mention his job as an assassin. Striker didn't like the idea of killing people for money at all, and his attitude towards it all was way too light in her opinion. She also didn't like the familiar way he treated her.

"My name is Striker. Call me Strikes again, and I'll make sure you have an early retirement! Just shut up and pretend you aren't even here!"

"Why would I do that?" Gence was sounding slightly annoyed. "It would mean I wouldn't be able to drink anymore."

"Why you hang out with this jerk is beyond me," Striker said to Mira with disdain. "He doesn't seem able to care about anything worthwhile."

"And you do?" Gence said heatedly.

Mira, seeing that an all out war was about to start, decided it was time to go and stood up. She wordlessly pulled Striker up and started directing the protesting bounty-hunter out of the bar. She wondered if this was how Striker felt when Mira and Mianna were going at each others throats.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Gence." Mira waved and then pushed Striker all the way out of the bar. It isn't until they were inside the _Starlight_ that Mira said anything to Striker. And when she did, she was not happy.

"Why did you have to treat him like that?" she asked angrily. "This is the first time in three years I've seen him-"

"You already know him? Well that explains your relationship better. I was wondering about how quickly you fell for him."

"For the last time, that is not the basis of our relationship!" Mira was exasperated. "He is my cousin, and I want to help him out a little."

"Help him out?"

"Oh, shut up! Gence has been on Spice for the last eight years! He started right after one of his jobs went wrong and his younger brother was killed. At first it was only once in a while, to help him forget, but he got addicted and was soon taking it every day. He has finally decided to stop and asked if I would help him out last night because his helper was busy."

"So, what was he doing drinking?"

"His drinks were dry. He was only pretending to be drunk for fun," Mira was having a hard time keeping her temper in check. "What you said might be just enough for him to start again! Next time, ask me about the company I keep before you say something so stupid!"

(^)

Another chapter finished! Yay! If you have any ideas, suggestions, likes, or dislikes, REVEIW.


	18. Chapter 18 Missing

"So, you're off then," Kade felt really awkward as he tried saying good-bye to Reanna. "I guess normally I would say something about how grateful the empire is for your service. But I don't think you would appreciate that as much as all those glory-seekers we send undercover, would you?"

"I don't think so," Reanna smiled. "I'll send the girl to you when I swap identities with her. If she doesn't show up, I'll need to know within two weeks, or there'll be trouble for sure when someone notices two different people saying they are the same person. It would lead to a DNA test and I'd lose."

"I'll be sure to let you know if the girl shows up or not," Kade promised. "Be careful in there. Even one wrong word could get you caught."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You've told me again and again what to do. What not to do, what to say, and even what to eat. I've been well informed about what I need to do as a spy. I'll be all right. It shouldn't take me more than a few months to find somebody who knows her location. It should be over within the year and if it takes a little longer, its just a little more insanity added to my already insane brain."

"You're not insane." Kade assured her jokingly. "A little crazy, mind you, but not insane. At least, not _yet_."

"Thanks a lot," Reanna thanked him sarcastically. "Don't worry about me. I'll contact you as soon as I find a girl to swap identities with. If something does go wrong, which it won't, I'll push the panic button on my comlink. It'll immediately show up on your computer as a little, blinking, blue light and you will know exactly where I am. It's perfectly safe."

"I've known of many operations that were perfect, but they still failed," Kade realized he was starting to annoy Reanna terribly. "Sorry! I'm doing it again. Just be careful. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Reanna walked off the ramp to the ship she was using and embraced Kade. She could see that he was very worried about her going off on her own and felt responsible for anything that might happen to her. She thought it was kind of annoying, but a little sweet at the same.

She looked up to say something along the lines of "I'll be fine", but the words died on her lips as she gazed up into his eyes. Up until this point, if you asked her what colour Kade's eyes were, she would just say brown. But now she would probably say they were the biggest, brownest, and softest eyes in the entire galaxy.

Before she was sure of what was even happening, her lips met with Kade's in a long, slow kiss. Reanna could tell Kade was a little shocked by this, but ,by the way he was kissing back, he was also enjoying it. When they pulled apart, Reanna could help but blush with embarrassment at what she had done.

"Good-bye, Kade." She said and than rushed into the waiting ship. She closed the ramp and leaned up against the wall breathing heavily.

_I did not just do that!_ She thought to herself shocked to her core. _I did not just kiss Master Kade! Oh, no! How will it affect our relationship? Will he want a romantic relationship or is he fine with us just being close friends? Reanna you are so stupid! Why on earth did you kiss him?_

Reanna let out a shaky breath and stood up. She had a mission to complete and questions about her and Kade could wait until it was over. She walked into the cockpit and plopped down in the pilot's chair. The controls were pretty basic and it didn't take long before she was taking off from the _Conquerer,_ for what she hoped was her first and last time.

"Look out galaxy. Reanna Starfield has finally come out to play."

(^)

Things in the _Starlight _were far from fine. Neither of "The Deadly Duo" were talking to each other and they started doing solo jobs to get away from one another. Mira was receiving more notes and couldn't shake the feeling that she was either being stalked, or someone was planning something very unpleasant for her. But she didn't bother to try to tell Striker, thinking it was her problem, and her problem alone.

Striker was just sulking about the scolding she had received from Mira. One part of her thought that she hadn't had any way of knowing about Gence's situation, so she hadn't deserved to be scolded. The other part of her knew that Mira was right in some of the things she had said. Striker knew she had a big mouth and didn't bother to control it when she was angry, but she also she could control it if she really wanted to. She just didn't and it usually got her into more trouble than if she kept her mouth shut. Like now. Mira was obviously very hurt by Striker's behaviour towards Gence. It was Striker's pride was what was keeping her from apologizing.

"Oh! These stupid levers!" Striker heard Mira scream in frustration. No doubt Mira had accidentally grabbed one and had a strong bolt of electricity shoot through her body. "If I never see these again it'll be too soon! ARGH! Striker, where are you?"

"In the 'fresher," Striker finished washing soot off her face and put the mask back over it. "Why?"

Mira stomped into the 'fresher with her eyes blazing.

"Why? Because Gence's sober companion hasn't seen or heard from him since we saw him at the bar! Do you have any idea what this might mean for him?"

"He had another person to assassinate?"

"No!" Mira's face was extremely pale. "It means that he is probably taking Spice again and all the work he has put into going clean means nothing anymore! He won't be able to get off it this time!" tears started rolling their way down her face. "I have to go!"

Mira rushed out of the 'fresher and Striker followed closely behind.

"Where are you going?" Striker asked as Mira opened the hatch and lowered herself out of the ship. "We aren't on the best planet to go walking around on after dark."

"I'm going to look for my cousin," Mira obviously wasn't thinking straight. "Gence has a girlfriend who lives here. Maybe she has heard something from him."

"Then just wait a minute for me to get my blasters," Striker tried to stop Mira. "You can't really expect to go anywhere this late without anyone stopping you, can you?"

"Fine. One minute and then I'm leaving whether you are here or not."

"Who is this girlfriend Gence has? I never thought he would be able to have one."

"Bailly Tract. A young twilek that has lived here for years. Gence visits her when he needs to unwind from the stress of his job."

Half-an-hour later, the girls stopped outside of a seedy apartment building and rang the bell for one of the higher rooms and waited for the occupant to come down. When the door opened, a young, purple-skinned twilek stood in the entrance with a very unpleased look on her heart-shaped face. She took one look at both of the bounty-hunters on her doorstep and motioned for them to come in.

"If this is about someone I know, I make it a point to make sure I don't know where they are," Bailly's attitude suggested she got a lot of bounty-hunters at her door. "And if you want to know about anyone close to them, I know exactly who my friends' families are and which ones are dearest."

"We just want to know if Gence Dale has contacted you in the last few days?" Mira kept her voice low knowing Gance's name was enough to have people turn against you. "It's very important that we find him as soon as possible."

"I haven't seen mister "I'm going clean now, so I can't see you anymore" since he went into rehab a year ago." Bailly sounded very disappointed. "But he did send me a message a few days ago. Something about how frustrated he was about a girl he met and how she refused to acknowledge him except to insult him. I sent a message back saying if she didn't want him he could come back to me, but he hasn't responded."

"Where was he when he contacted you?"

"On his ship, I think."

"Do you think we could see the message he sent you?"

Baily nodded and led the way into the lift. They were halfway up when Striker became aware of Bailly glaring lasers at her. At first, Striker thought it was just because Bailly didn't like bounty-hunters always coming to her door and asking about people. But when Bailly's gaze didn't turn away, Striker got the impression the twilek seemed to have made a personal vendetta against her.

When they reached the top, Bailly led them to the very end of the hall and opened a door with her name scratched onto it. Just before she went in, she turned around and gazed hatingly at Striker.

"You can come in and see the message," Bailly motioned towards Mira. "But I won't have that piece of trash defiling my home and possessions!"

"Who are you to judge what kind of person I am?" Striker immediately took offense and started towards the twilek, but was stopped by Mira's firm grip on her arm. "At least I'm not some slut who deals out Spice to the many young men she claims to have as her boyfriends!"

"Striker," Mira pleaded quietly. "She may be the only person who has any idea on where my cousin is. Please, don't blow this for me."

Striker turned to argue, but the pleading look in Mira's gray eyes made her stop to think about what Mira needed and how she would feel in Mira's position. Wouldn't she want to find her cousin as soon as was possible if she knew he was probably taking Spice. So, she nodded and, against her better judgement, mumbled an apology to the spiteful twilek. She felt her pride taken down a couple of notches as Mira vanished inside.

Hating the fact that she had had to apologize to one of the worst, no good, lowlifes that ever walked the galaxy. Striker paced back and forth trying to burn off some steam, but was failing miserably. Every time she thought she was close to calming down, a small thought would enter her mind and set her off again.

It wasn't until Mira came out of the room and started down the hall she relaxed even the slightest bit. And it wasn't until they were back on the _Starlight_ that her anger faded into a small annoyance in the back of her mind.

Striker didn't even realize Mira had lifted off and started flying until they were in hyperdrive. When it finally clicked, she felt both shocked and slightly annoyed, but she understood. Gence had said where he was going to be in the message and was trying to get there as soon as possible.

"Where did he say he was?" Striker flopped down onto the copilot's chair. "Somewhere close I hope."

"He didn't say," Mira said with unusual calm. "But I have a feeling of where we might find him. And if he is there, please don't say anything negative about him to him."

"My lips are sealed as tight as an imperial air lock," Striker promised. "What did Gence say in his message? From how long it took, he must of had a lot to say."

"He did. But none of it is really relevant and you wouldn't want to hear it. Mostly him going on and on about a girl he met that doesn't even like him," Mira didn't sound like she wanted to talk about it. "I set coordinates for Ondo. You might as well sleep for awhile. We won't be there for at least half a day."

"Why would Gence to there?"

"Simple," Mira swallowed. "It's where he buried his brother."

(^)

"You must understand," Reanna tried to calm her frustration as she listened to yet another woman in trouble refused her offer. "I would be happy to switch identities with you. But I just can't leave now. My man is willing to pay for an abortion, and I don't think I could raise a child. It's better this way 'round for everyone involved. I'm very sorry."

The young prostitute stood up and left the small dark restaurant where Reanna had set up the meeting. After three days of no luck, Reanna was beginning to think that no one wanted to get out of the horrible life they lead. Though she knew it could take time to find someone willing to switch, she wished it wouldn't. Time was being wasted and Madam was getting further and further out of reach. And Reanna would need even more time to get to know the habits and personality of the girl she switched with.

"Can I get you anything else, honey?" The waitress asked as she cleared away the dishes the prostitute had eaten off of. "There's fresh pie right out of the oven. Or I can get you some tea."

"No thanks," Reanna shook her head. "But if you have any ice cream, I sure would like some of that."

"Comin' right up, sweetie," the waitress turned to go to the kitchen, but came back as if she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, there was a young girl in the corner booth asking if I'd tell you that she's interested in your proposition. I think she's still there, but won't be for long if you go over there."

"Thank-you." Reanna waited until the waitress had come back with her ice cream before heading over to the corner booth where the alleged woman was. "Mind if I sit down?" she accidentally startled the young woman sitting there. "I'm sorry. My name is Rea. I take it you've heard the details of my proposal?"

"I heard you want to take on a new identity," the girl's gray eyes darted from the door to all the windows and back to Reanna. "But I haven't heard all the details. Could you inform me?"

"Of course," Reanna shoved her ice cream over to the girl in hopes of putting her more at ease. "I have need to go undercover in an operation to take down the leader of a group of outlaws. The only problem is that they know exactly who I am and what I look like. So, I decided to change my identity, but they do a thorough background check and if there is nothing on mine, they'll find me out for sure. The only way I can truly change is if I switch with somebody, and I thought while I did that, I could help someone get out of this life." Reanna didn't dare say the word prostitution for fear of offending the girl and chasing her off.

"You mean prostitution?" The girl took out a Death Stick and nearly started smoking it, but instead tossed it onto the floor and ground it beneath her foot. "Most girls here don't even know the meaning of that word, it is so apart of their lives. I was raised by a woman who was like that. The only reason I know what it is called and that it is illegal on some planets is because a man came here and told me about it."

"Is he the father?" Reanna mentally kicked herself after asking the question. The girl just smiled sadly and shook her head.

"He came here only a few weeks ago and left yesterday. My baby's father has tried to keep me from understanding what I've been doing and what abortion means." fear crept into the girl's tone. "He tried talking me into it last time I saw him and I managed to put off my answer. But I think he might try to force me into having one when he learns that I intend to keep the baby."

"I take it he's not overly fond of the idea of having a child of his making?"

"That's an understatement!" the girl snorted. "He will hate the child with every fibre of his being until it is dead. That is why I am interested in your proposition."

'Well, how things would go down is you would leave planet with my identity, and I would stay behind here for a few days slipping into your role and contacting the organization I want to infiltrate. You will fly to a planet I have already chosen and meet with my partner. He will then set up a new name and life story for you and place you in a safe-house until he can make it seem your new name has been in the database ever since your birth. After three years of living in a safe-house, you will be moved on your own, but you will be living right by people trained specifically to keep people-in-hiding safe. Another two years and you will be able to live on your own as an upstanding, law-abiding citizen."

"That does sound appealing," the girl sat back to think about the offer. "I'm just not to sure about the whole five years not being able to leave a certain planet."

"I understand," Reanna felt more disappointment welling up in her chest. "Not many people at all want to go through all of that. I'll find somebody else."

"No!" the girl exclaimed desperately. "I know how that sounded, but I am willing to go through the five years if it means my baby will be safe! When do you want to switch?"

"As soon as possible."

The girl nodded and thought over that for a minute. She opened her mouth to say something and snapped it back shut. This happened three times more before she spoke again.

"I'm not free for the rest of the week," she said regretfully. "Any sooner than that and _he_ will know what had happened and come after me before I can get to your partner and even then _he_ might find out. My name's Meena Mally by the way."

The next three hours were spent with the two young woman discussing details on how they were going to get Meena off the planet and to Ondo where Kade would be waiting for her. In their discussion, Reanna found Meena to be a very bright and cheerful person despite her circumstances. It was more than once when Reanna found herself laughing at a joke she had unwittingly initiated and Meena would point out a flaw in the plan Reanna would never have seen.

All too soon, Meena had to leave to make an appointment with one of her pimps. It was sad how such amazing people ended up in the worst possible conditions just because of who they were born to the wrong people.

Reanna stood up with a sigh and left the restaurant. She had walked down a few blocks, making sure to keep an eye out for any unpleasant characters waiting for some defenseless, young woman to walk by, when suddenly a strong hand reached out and pulled her into a dark ally.

Before her mind could process what was going on and why she hadn't sensed danger, something hard crashed onto the back of her head. Her last thought before darkness claimed her was the question many others had been asking lately.

Why me?

(^)

Thanks for reading and sorry for the wait (I seem to be saying that a lot). I'll post the next chapter whenever I finish it, but I can't promise it will be anytime soon. As always, if you have any likes, dislikes, and ya-de-ya-de-yada. Just Reveiw!


	19. Chapter 19

_Throb! Throb! Throb!_ Reanna had a headache fit to knock any head off of it's neck. She could feel a small trickle of blood running down the back of her neck and her eyes couldn't focus. Not the best conditions for anyone at all to wake up in.

"Finally," a slick voice oozing with fake charm and sarcasm said. "you're awake! I was beginning to think you were in a coma. Now you can answer my question. Where are the jewels?"

"Jewels?"

"Yes, the ones you stole."

"I stole?"

"Are you playing games with me, Elanda?" The voice took on an angry tone.

"I might be, if I had any idea who and what you're talking about!" Reanna was beginning to get angry. "If you could explain, I _might_ be able to make sense of what is going on."

"Your lying skills haven't improved of late," the voice took on an amused tone. "But I'll go along. What do you want to know first?"

"How about we start with who you _think_ I am?" Reanna leaned up against the cool wall behind her and held her head in her hands. "And why you think you are so mad at me."

"Alright. Your name is Elanda Leo Tallis. You are my personal assassin, secretary, head security officer, and confident. Or at least you were until three weeks ago when you walked into my private quarters, opened my safe, and stole _my most precious jewels!" _there was a pause where all Reanna heard was the sound of someone breathing hard to regain control of there anger. "Now, I think that I've answered your stupid questions, SO TELL ME WHERE YOU HID THE JEWELS!"

"Let me straighten you out," Reanna tried standing and felt dizzy. "I am a little known bounty-hunter from the planet Ondo. Maybe you heard of my tragic death? I heard it was all over the news. Anyways, I'm here on business of no importance to you and was just going to leave in under a week."

"Nice story," out of no where a hand roughly grabbed her throat and slammed her against the wall. "But it's not enough to get you out this time," the grip around her throat tightened. "Tell me where you hid the jewels now, and I _might_ go easy on you. Don't tell me, and the Force itself won't be able to put you back together."

Either her vision was really bad, or it was almost pitch black in wherever she was being held. Reanna could feel her captor breathing all over her face, but his was a complete mystery to her.

Hmm, waking up to find herself captured by some lunatic who thought she was somebody else, not being able to see a thing, not knowing how long she had been out, this was shaping up to be a great day! NOT!

One thing this nutcase didn't do, he didn't tie her legs or arms. If there was one thing you never did, it was capture a bounty-hunter and not tie them up. Even if they were blind. And especially one that had some training in the Force.

_I'm going to have to thank Kade if this works._ Reanna thought to herself after she used the Force to scan the room for anything useful._ Here goes nothing._

She stretched out with the Force and used it to grasp a small, seemingly useless piece of pipe and flung it across the room to where she knew her captor's head would be.

The next thing Reanna knew, a huge body was crushing her against the wall and then slumping to the ground. She searched for any door or entrance and let out a breath of relief when she found one that wasn't locked or anything. She opened it and nearly staggered back at the bright light shinning outside.

_Not blind! This is very good!_ Reanna stood still as she waited for her eyes to adjust to the sudden change from dark to light. _Please don't let there be any guards. That would put such a damper on my _attempt_ of escape._

She started on her way out as soon as her vision cleared of spots and found herself in either a very neglected apartment building or motel building. The funny thing was, for either of those things, it was way too quiet. No guards, staff, or occupants were in the halls, but there were cleaning carts and pieces of furniture all over the place.

It kind of reminded her of one of those creepy holomovies she had lined up to see almost every weekend as a young teen. A person would wake up in a building that seemed to be abandoned, but kept up really well. They would wander around for a while hearing strange sounds until they rounded the corner and-

"WHAT THE?" Reanna turned a corner, crashed into someone, and fell back onto the floor. She looked up to see who she was up against and froze when she saw a pale, frightened, tear stained version of her own face.

Apparently, the other was quite shocked about this little development as well.

"Who are you?" Reanna found she was too surprised to answer the question of the other. "And what on earth are you doing here?"

"I-" The sound of booted feet was coming down both ends of the hall and the next thing Reanna knew, the other girl was hoisting her up and dragging her into the closest room.

The smell of musk and mold was strong in Reanna's nostrils and, to her annoyance, it was almost too dark to see anything. With strength Reanna wouldn't have expected from the other girl, she was pressed up against the wall with the girl's hand clamped over her mouth.

"Did Tallis make it up to the penthouse?" Reanna was barely breathing for fear of making herself known to the people right outside. "She said she knew where the jewels were and was willing to tell you where for a small price."

"What?" the voice of the man who had mistaken her for someone else easily reached her ears. "I already had Tallis up in the penthouse! How could she have been down here and been up there?"

"I don't know, boss. How?"

"She couldn't! That's how!" there was alarm in the man's voice. "That means that one of them was an impostor! So you and I are going to search this hotel from bottom to top and make sure that no one comes or leaves. Get the rest of my security here on the double and have a few search the surrounding area. I want both of the girls found and incarcerated!"

There was silence out in the hall and after a few minutes of listening, the hand removed itself from Reanna's mouth and stopped pressing her up against the wall. A sharp jab in the arm was enough to tell Reanna that she needed to keep quiet or suffer consequences.

The girl moved to the far wall and started feeling along the top of it. Reanna wanted to ask what she was doing, but wisely kept her mouth shut on a hunch that the woman wasn't the best person to upset.

A crack opened in the wall and the woman stuck her fingers in the crack and it widened until she could easily step through. Reanna followed a little hesitantly and nearly started choking on the sickly, sweet smell that emanated from the secret passage. The woman seemed to understand and handed her a small square of cloth with a strong scent of soap.

"The smell is quite overwhelming," the wall slid back in place behind them. "But it gets better as you go along. Whatever you do, do not deviate from the path, or you will never sleep again."

"Thanks for the warning," Reanna felt tears sting her eyes from the sharp smell of the soap. "How long until we get out of here?"

"The tunnel goes on down to the basement, and then it turns and goes on until it reaches Ricky's basement," the woman took out a glow rod. "My name is Elanda, by the way."

"I'm Reanna. I guess I have you to thank for the mess I'm in?" Reanna began trying to pick out differences between her and Elanda that anyone could notice. "Something about stolen jewels?"

"I didn't steal Brock's stupid jewels!" Elanda seemed slightly upset by the accusation. "I merely took them out to get appraised and the place I took them was robbed. I tracked the thieves down and tried to get in to see Brock about it, but no! He already knows what was going on. I only went under his employment as a way to build up his trust so I could get the combination. If I wanted to steal the jewels, I wouldn't have waited for him to give me the combination! I could have cracked his safe easily! I didn't need him at all! Working with him was a good paying job."

"I'd hate to meet up you on a bad day," Reanna mumbled to herself. "What kind of soap did you use on the cloth?" Reanna suddenly felt an attack of sneezes coming on.

"Rose."

"Rose? Oh, of course, it had to be rose," Reanna held the cloth as far away from herself without letting go as possible. "Do you have any other scented clothes?"

"No. Why?"

"Because I'm allergic to any kind of rose there is," Reanna felt tear start streaming from her eyes. "Did you by any chance use red rose? Because I am especially allergic to that stuff."

"You are kidding, right?" Elanda's once amused face was turning to worry. "Please tell me you are kidding."

"Yeah, I'd definitely joke about something that makes me feel as if I have a…a…ACHOO!" Reanna's sneeze seemed even louder than it was because of the echo. "I'm sorry, I just can- can't stand roses. The last time I smelled a red rose, I was stuck in bed for three days straight."

"Now this is one of the most weird days of my life," Elanda threw her arm around Reanna's shoulders and started leading her through the tunnels. "I meet someone that looks exactly like me, and that person is allergic to one of my favourite things."

Reanna wasn't listening to her companion, she was too busy trying to keep her allergies under control. She had almost forgotten about her reaction to roses it had been so long ago.

_Why couldn't I be allergic to something normal? Like the fur of a certain exotic animal?_

(^)

"Mira is looking for you, you know," Gence jumped at the sound of Striker's voice. "She's been worried sick. She thinks you've gone back to Spice and are completely beyond any help."

"Who's to say I'm not?" Gence was slightly annoyed that he had been found. "For all you know, I could have been taking it all week and you wouldn't know."

"Yes, I would," Striker sat beside him and held out her hand for his deathsitck, which he reluctantly handed over. "I grew up seeing people who take Spice and you look much better than any of them ever did. Now what's this all about?"

"What's what all about?" Gence looked out over the city from the roof he had been sitting on for the last few hours and therefore didn't see Striker roll her eyes. "There isn't anything going on."

"Come on," she held out her hand again and Gence took the pack of deathsticks out of his pocket and gave it to her. "I didn't travel half-way across the galaxy listening to my best friend worry herself into an early grave just for you to tell me nothing is wrong. You left planet without your sober companion, you contacted your ex-girlfriend, and you came to a planet you hate with all your being. If that doesn't spell something is wrong, I don't know what does. Spill it!"

"Surprising how we've only known each other for a few weeks and you can already read me like an open book," Gence chuckled and leaned back. "All right, all right. I'm here because I'm meeting with one of my contacts. I have a special mission coming up and I need lots of information to pull it off."

"Yeah, and acklays fly," Striker snorted as she set the pack of deathsticks on fire and tossed it off the roof. "Why are you really here?"

"I just told you."

"Then explain. You don't need to talk with contacts to find out what you need to know for one of your jobs," Striker was certain he was making this up. "You can just hack somebody's computer and get all the information you need. What is the truth?"

"The truth, Striker, is that I'm going to go to Coruscant to assassinate one of the most influential people in all the galaxy! The truth is that if one minor thing goes wrong, I will be executed! The truth is that I didn't want my cousin to catch wind of this plan because it will only make her worry! The truth is that I am a walking time bomb that could drop dead at any second! _That, _my dear Striker, is the truth!"

Gence stood up and started down from the roof, leaving a dumbfounded Striker to mull over what he had just told her. Gence was dying? Since when? Who was he going to try and assassinate?

"Gence, wait!" Striker nimbly jumped after him. "Gence. What were you talking about back there? What do you mean dead?"

"Dead. No longer living. No breath or pulse in your body. Dead." Gence walked almost too fast for Striker to keep up. "Get a dictionary and look it up if you want a better definition."

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Striker ran ahead of Gence and forced him to stop. "What do you mean you're dying? From what?"

"I don't know," Gence said a little heatedly. "Some rare disease I can't pronounce the name of! Now get out of my way!"

"Gence, have you told anyone other than me?" Something suddenly donned on her.

"No."

"Not even Baily?"

"I might have said something in a message I… You already knew."

"No, Baily refused to let me see it. Mira watched it and I have a feeling she hasn't been getting enough sleep over it. I think you should talk to her about it."

"When I get back," Gence picked Striker up and moved her out of his way. "I don't think I could stand her glaring at me. Especially now with her eye patch and… It is just plain intimidating."

"That's no excuse," Striker inwardly groaned when she saw Gence's ship just ahead. "What if you are caught? What then?"

"Then good riddance!" he lowered the ramp. "One less lowlife assassin to defile the galaxy."

Striker used every excuse she could think of as Gence went around his ship prepping so he could get out off of this planet and do what he was hired to do. By the time the ship was ready to go, Gence was starting to feel her nagging grate on his nerves. Without letting her know, Gence took of and started on his course towards Coruscant.

"You might want to buckle up," Gence warned. "The jump to hyperspace is kind of rough on this ship and will probably throw you off your feet."

"Hyperspace?!" Striker finally noticed they were in space. "Why didn't you tell me you were taking off?"

"I didn't want to interrupt your rousing talk," Gence was very sarcastic. "That, and I thought I could strike up a deal with you."

"What kind of deal?" Striker decided to ignore the horrible pun.

"You are searching to find out what happened to your mother, yes?" Gence didn't wait for an answer. "A Tess Lisa Tanta. Influential Force-user from before the Empire, as I recall."

"Yes. How-"

"I skimmed over a file I saw of her the last time I was on Coruscant," Striker was very wary about the whole thing. "I didn't finish it, but it is very likely it can say what happened to her."

"What do I have to do?"

"You have to help get me in through security, get the ship ready to make a clean getaway, and stay out of my way! In return, I'll get you into the main database so you can look over the file. Deal?"

"Why do you need me to help get you passed security? You did it once before."

"Yeah, and barely escaped with my life."

"Fun." Striker dialled Mira's number on her comlink and waited for her partner to answer. "Hey Mira, I found him and he is completely fine. Listen, I'm probably crazy for this, but I'm going with him on one of his jobs."

"YOU'RE WHAT?" Gence heard Mira's shocked voice from where he was across the room.

"No, this isn't a joke," Striker chuckled. "Take the _Starlight_ and go wherever you want. I'll meet you the usual place three days after I send the signal. I will. Mira, go have some fun. I'll make sure Gence gets back safely. Good-by."

(^)

Coruscant. The capital of the galaxy. A planet that was made of one entire city. The home of the Emperor himself and birthplace of Master Kade. In other words, the place where everything was.

Maybe that was why Kade hated it so much. Or maybe it was because he knew what was coming the moment he stepped inside the Emperor's palace.

"Welcome, home, son." Emperor Arkins dry, cultured voice grated on Kade's ears. "You need to come to the capital more often to learn the ways of this fair planet. After all, you are my only heir and will take over in my stead when I decide to retire or I pass on."

"Father, we have been over this, I have no desire to become emperor. Give the right of succession to Lord Rane. He is much more familiar with the job than I ever could be."

"You'll learn," the Emperor's attitude was the one thing Kade hated most. "I knew almost nothing about the job when I took it. And look at me now!"

"Yes, the emperor who can't do a single thing to stop the rebellion because he is too busy worrying about things that his son should be able take care of." Kade knew what was coming before his father had raised his hand and braced himself.

Without fail, his air was cut off and forks of Force-lightning were tearing through his body. This time, unconsciousness was quick to come and he was out within the first ten minutes.

When he woke up, he found himself in his room with one of the maids bandaging his back.

"How long did it take this time?" He asked knowing someone had timed how long it took for him to pass out.

"Five minutes, forty-seven seconds." She knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Not bad," Kade sat up and reached for his shirt. "Who won the bet?"

"I did." the maid blushed. "I was only thirteen seconds off."

"Good," Kade buckled his utility belt up. "It's about time someone other than Ida won. Now can you find something other than my pain to bet on? It's not that I don't enjoy my annual air cut off and zap, but I would like to stay young for at least another fifty years."

"I'll see what I can do," the maid giggled and picked up her medical supplies. "But you need to come up with another thing to bet on."

"How about how many visits I can go without being on my father's bad side?" Kade suggested. "You guys could get rich off of that one."

"We already get rich off of this one."

"Find something else. I'm done making you guys rich."

The maid rolled her eyes and left the room. Kade knew that the house staff would never stop betting on his pain until the day his father died. Even then, they would probably start betting on something else that he was likely to do.

"Master Kade, dinner is being served in the informal dining room," A maid called through the door. "The emperor is waiting."

"Thank-you."

Dinner passed in a restrained tension. Kade trying to keep the hate he felt for his father at bay, and the emperor was doing his best not to start taunting Kade until later when he trained him some more.

"Have you been keeping up with your training?" Emperor Arkins finally brought up the subject Kade dreaded, over a glass of wine.

"I have been training, but not the training you gave me."

"Why not?" Kade could see a small light of anger shining in the back of his father's eyes.

"It's too dangerous to use in my quarters on the ship," Kade knew this wasn't the bet excuse to use. "With so much personnel around I have a hard time telling the difference between life forms and droids. On a big ship like the _Conquerer_, I could kill anyone if I let my awareness slip and started going berserk."

"That's why you can never be a master of the Force," Emperor Arkins motioned for Kade to follow him. "You let fear of hurting others get in the way. You must let go of those feelings. Let your darker emotions rule you."

"Yes, Father." Kade didn't notice how alike he and the Emperor looked with their hands clasped behind their backs and their heads slightly bowed as they talked.

"Well, if you won't train on your ship than you will train here," the Emperor decided as he opened the doors to his private training room. "You shouldn't let your defences down at any time."

Kade had barely managed to block his father's strike before it had reached his neck. Before he really knew what was going on, he was in a heated duel with his father. It had been so long since he had been challenged so this was a chance to see how much he had improved since the last time.

Within the first thirty minutes, Kade's eyes had no resemblance to the soft, brown orbs they normally were, but sickly, yellow irises that looked as if they were infected.

In the end he lost, but his father was pleased. This had been Kade's most impressive performance yet. He had shown more aggression, anger, and ruthlessness then all the times before put together.

Kade felt as if he had just done a marathon. But, then again, it might as well have been a marathon, because it was nearly the next morning by the time Kade returned to his room.

He groaned as he took off his shirt. His whole torso was covered in bruises from the beating he had received from his father. He hated coming home. His only welcome would always be electrocution, strangulation, and a good beating. Sometimes he had to wonder why he even bothered. At the same time, he knew it was because of his planet sized pride.

"I'd better get rid of my pride," Kade said to himself as he collapsed onto his bed. "Or I'm going to get myself killed."

(^)

That's it for now. I think it is only fair to warn you that this is going to be a two part story and I'm wrapping this one up in just a few more chapters. Just a little warning.

If you have any ideas, suggestions, likes, or dislikes, you can push the review button and let me know. I'm always open to new ideas.


	20. Chapter 20

An eighteen year old Mira stood in the 'fresher examining her new look. She would be surprised if her sisters would be able to recognize her. With half of her face covered in metal, her dark, green armour, and her now shoulder length, blond hair, she would be surprised if anyone on her home planet would know who she was without closely studying her. She was also a lot thinner now then when she had lived in the palace, so her build was slightly different. She had changed so much in the last year, she was wondering if it had been way to drastic, or if it had been a good change.

_Mother would be horrified at what I just did to my hair. _Mira thought happily. _Though I must say in is an improvement to the colour and will be easier to keep out of my way. Speaking of getting something out of my way…_

Mira left the 'fresher and took the strange notes she had been finding out of their hiding place. Each one had two rows of four widely spaced letters. None of them made any real words and no matter how she rearranged them, they never made any sense. She had often thought about calling Reanna to get her advice, but quickly shied away from those thoughts knowing her calls could be traced and Master Kade wouldn't hesitate to turn her in.

"But I'm eighteen now," she said softly to herself. "It doesn't matter now I am of legal age."

Once she had thought she had almost figured out what these notes were telling her, but then her method was wrong and she'd had to start from the beginning again.

"If I could just figure out how it works, I could figure out who is trying to reach me."

She sat there just staring at the notes and arranged them in almost every single pattern she could think up before she was struck by a bolt of brilliance.

"If this isn't it I'm going to kill these notes and forget about the whole thing!"

She place each note in the opposite order she had received them in and arranged them from top to bottom. There were a lot of notes and she could soon see the words they made.

I'm deeply sorry for what I've done to you. It read. There was no call for me to order my guard to ruin your face and as a way to apologize and make things right, you'll find that I have switched the name of the family estates over to you. Milly's guardianship has also been switched over to you, so you may come pick her up at any time her on Raxin in the Raxorn sector. Mianna Starfield.

Mianna Starfield? Why would she give it all to me instead of… Mianna has no idea about Reanna being alive! No one even remembered that Reanna had a sister who was probably feeling worse than death. They all had been so relieved that Reanna was safe, they had completely forgotten about the young woman needing to know about at least one of her family, other than Milly, was alive.

"And people say the rebellion is uncaring and insensitive," she muttered to herself as she started for the cockpit. "To let a woman suffer like that. I don't know what I'd do if I lost everyone I love in just under the year. And if one was alive and I had no idea about it, I would go crazy when I found out! Now my big question is, how did she get the notes to me? I usually have no idea of my nest destination until a few days before I go there."

Mira sat down in the pilots chair and started going through the confusing process of starting the ship. It wouldn't have been so bad if Striker hadn't been so paranoid about the chance of someone stealing it and added a bunch of useless dials, switches, and buttons to make sure no one could figure out that all they needed to do was push every third button, switch and dial to get it to turn on.

It was just like the trick levers in the entrance. There were five levers you could choose from. Only one of them would get you into the ship. The others would send a painful jolt of electricity tearing through the unfortunate persons body and then the ship would seal up until someone punched in the security code. The only exception was if another ship connected with the _Starlight._

She scowled when the _Starlight_ refused to start up for her. Sometimes she thought the ship was actually alive and had a personal vendetta against her. Mira knew she had fuelled and checked all systems before she had gone to bed last night. The ship must have hated her for reasons only known to itself.

"Come on, _Starlight._ I may not be your master, but I am her best friend and if you don't behave for me how will she react when I tell her what a bad ship you were," Mira said the words lightly, but there was no missing the threat that underlined her sentence. "Please start. Please! Oh, I must be going as crazy as Striker. I'm talking to her ship. Is this what becomes of people who spend way too much time on this ship. Start up you hunk of junk!" Mira kicked the ignition and started the process of starting the ship all over again.

This time, the ship started without any hesitation. And Mira kicked it again for good measure. She would look into getting her own ship just as soon as she could. Her hatred for the _Starlight_ was getting stronger and stronger per day.

Three hours later, she was well on her way to Raxin and to seeing Milly once again.

"So, who exactly is your target?" Striker asked hoping she wouldn't be ignored this time. "If I am going to help you through security, I should at least know that little piece of information. Shouldn't I?"

"No. The less you know, the better. Your job is to get me inside of a certain building, and to make sure there is a good, easy way out if security suddenly realizes we are there," Gence knew she wouldn't go along if she had any idea who his target was. "You'll know when it hit's the news and not before."

"What are we going to land as? We can't very well go to Coruscant as an assassin and bounty-hunter. That would give them some idea on who is responsible for the murder."

"We are on Coruscant as a brother and sister here to settle some issues over our late father's estate. Things, such as, no will, unsettled debts, and property. You want to sell and I want to keep it in the family. There is a lot of other stuff, but I won't bore you by talking about all that. If you want something to do, there is a file in the compartment behind the mirror that has all the information you need in order to help fool the lawyer."

"Lawyer? You mean we are actually settling someone's estate?"

"It will take any suspicion of us being involved and throw it out the window," Gence knew the next part was going to make Striker really angry at him. "I also have been meaning to settle my father's estate for quite some time now. I just couldn't because my father wanted a female involved with all that and sadly, there hasn't been a female, other than Mira, willing to help out and not take half of the estate with them.

"So that's the reason you brought me along!" anger was flashing through Striker's green eyes. "Why did I ever agree to this? I knew I shouldn't of come. Not even-"

"It's the only way you will ever find out what happened to your mother!" he knew it was a low blow, but it was the only way he could be sure she would stay. "If you don't then that will remain ever a mystery, because I am the only one who knows exactly where to find those files and is willing to help you!"

Striker inwardly fumed and clenched her fists. If Gence could find that file, so could she! She was probably better than him at it and didn't need his help to get into any building! She should just leave him to do the stupid job all by himself!

"I hate you," Striker spat and rushed out of the room. "I'm surprised Mira thinks there is anything worth anything in you." She shouted over her shoulder.

"Your dislike of me is duly noted," Gence murmured softly to himself. "And it is duly ignored."

Hours later, they had made it to Coruscant and were settling into the hotel when the lawyer called. He wanted to meet with them the next morning at a small diner for breakfast. At first Striker wanted to drop out so she could go sightseeing, but soon she realized that if this was going to work out, she had to act as if she was interested in the estate and money.

"So, when do you want to pull this job off?" Striker finally said something after hours of being stone silent. "If it's going to be soon I need to see the blue prints of the building you want me to get us into."

"Yeah, sure," Gence spread the sheets of blueprints, he had managed to buy on the black market, on the table. "This is the layout of all the floors and their security. The guards make their rounds every ten minutes and every five outside the Emperor's offices. Cameras are everywhere so everyone is seen at all times."

"Now _this_ is interesting," Striker said after a few minutes of studying the map. "I never thought I would be breaking into the Imperial Senate building. But now that I have the chance, I am completely stumped at some of the security measures. They even have cameras in the small janitorial closets. Not to mention the guards patrolling and the lasers across the windows. It's almost to the point where the only way you can possibly get in is by going through the proper security."

"Great. I thought you would be able to help me. But now you can't so the whole thing might be off!"

"I never said it wasn't possible," Striker almost couldn't believe what was coming out of her mouth. "If I think about this for a few hours I'll come up with a plan to get us both inside," _Shut up, shut up, shut up!_ Her mind was screaming at her. _"_And I'll get a second opinion on my plan to make sure it won't flop."

"If you don't come up with a good plan and we are caught, then we both are going to die. So think hard and don't stop until you are absolutely certain whatever you come up with will work."

"How did you get in last time?" Striker was mentally kicking and slapping herself for her stupidity. "It might help to form a plan that will get us in without the pain of being put at the scene of the crime."

"The air vents."

"How did you get caught? There is almost no security unless you move the grates!"

"There wasn't that kind of security when I did it," Gence grabbed a cup from the cupboard and filled it with a vile smelling drink and downed it with one swig. "The only reason I was caught was because I dropped into the centre of a young senator's quarters, as she was changing into something casual, and nearly scared her into retirement. Needless to say, they jacked up the security on the vents."

"What is that you're drinking?" The scent was enough to churn her stomach.

"An un-alcoholic mixture of this and that," Gence poured another glass. "It may smell awful, but it's not that bad once you get over the twangy taste it has to it."

"Please don't drink it when I'm trying to think," Striker scrunched her nose at the horrible smell. "It distracts me."

"Whatever." Gence walked away and sat down on the couch.

Striker concentrated on the blueprints and studied it hard to find some flaw until late that night. By the time she had the fragments of an idea, she was too tired to meditate on it.

(^)

Another party thrown and another few hours of his life he could never get back. The only thing nice about it was that he got to see Anna again. The last time he had seen her was when she had left with her father after the inspection. After that, their only communication was a few coms here and there. But nothing to keep their friendship as good as it used to be.

That was why they were nearly inseparable on this evening they were on the same planet and same party. Kade knew most people there were thinking that there was something going on between him and Anna. At the moment, that was the last thing he cared about, but he knew he would have to set her straight on the basis of their relationship.

"So, Anna," Kade led her around on the dance floor. "I heard you are in command of your own ship."

"Please, don't remind me," weariness crept into her voice. "My crew only tolerates me because of the harsh punishments I deal out when I am unpleased with them. And the new recruits try to get into command by trying to get me to fall for them. They all think they're some hot shot that can waltz in and sweep any woman off their feet."

"Don't worry about that. Most female officers always have this kind of trouble at the start. The men push boundaries to see what they can get away with because you're young, inexperience, and, what they like to think, of the weaker sex."

"The what?"

"Anna, you have known many men think that woman are the weakest creatures in the galaxy and their only purpose is to take care of their children, and to look pretty. Once you get men to see that you're not a timid woman that they can push around, they'll start to respect you."

"Kade, have you met my father's protégé, yet?" Worry creased Anna's brow.

"No. But I have heard he is strong in the Force."

"Ha! Strong in the Force, arrogant, violent, hates rebels with every fibre of his being , and has the worst interrogation methods I've ever heard of. Not one of his prisoners have survived a single session! And my father can't do a thing now because the Emperor has just given the man his own ship. From what I've heard, working on his ship is a living nightmare if you do something wrong. Most of his crew have asked for transfer to other ships because they don't think it's safe to work on his ship."

"I hope I never get thrown in with him during a battle," Kade said. "There would be a horrible conflict between commanders and the troops would-"

"Lets not talk about it," Anna saw a small change in Kade's demeanour and knew he was getting slightly angry at the thought of a cruel, bloodthirsty man in command of any part of his army. "Let's talk about an explanation about the woman I found in your quarters being dead? I've been waiting for one for the last few months."

"Please do not tell anyone about this," Kade led her out onto the balcony and to the far corner where no one ever went. "Reanna Starfield was dead as far as anyone was concerned, but it turned out that she was only prisoner of the rebels and someone else's body was the one we found. When we found her, she was half dead, but alive enough so she could recover with a bit of medical care. She recovered and decided to go undercover in the rebel ranks to bring down their leader. Right now, she's probably still trying to get someone to change identities with her. She's due to give me a transmission."

"Do you like her?" Anna gave a sly smile.

"She's a nice girl." Kade pretended not to understand what she meant.

"I don't mean as a person. I meant as a love interest."

"Anna!" Kade was a little surprised by her question. "What business is it of yours if I find her interesting and like to be around her?"

"You can tell me, Kade," Anna laughed at his reaction. "I may like you, but you're not my type. You're more like a big brother than a boyfriend."

"Oh? And how long have you had this revelation?"

"Kade, I am serious," Anna grasped his hand gently. "A few months ago, I met someone. I've spent quite a lot of time with him and like him. We've decided we want to marry by the end of the year, and Father approves."

"Do I know the lucky fellow?" Kade was more than a little shocked at the news.

"I'm not sure. He's a well respected business man from Alderaan and is neither for the Empire or against it. He says it works top his advantage whatever happens. His name is Jerrold Highlight."

"President of Willworks?"

"That's the man," Anna nodded. "You have met him before?"

"Once. It was a very brief meeting, though. He seemed like a nice young man. But isn't he a little old for you?"

"Nine years. But that's not as big as other marriages have. I have considered everything, Kade. I don't want to spend the rest of my life as a commander of an army that shouldn't have been right there waiting for a war to start. I want a family and I see now I'm not going to get that if I sit around waiting for something that is not going to happen. I love Jerrold, and he is willing to give me that."

"Well, if you think this is what you want, you have my support. Congratulations! I'm happy for you."

"Thank-you."

"Now there is really a reason to have a party. Let us go dancing again!" Kade swept her back onto the dance floor and exhausted her with dance after dance.

A great evening compared to the ones he spent the rest of the time. At least when Reanna had been in his care, he had been able to spend his evenings with her and have excellent time talking, being whooped in popular gambling games, and, sometimes, just sitting there watching holonet as Reanna slowly, but surely, drifted off to sleep.

He had wonder how he had managed not to die of boredom before Reanna had been dragged into his life. He was now kind of used to spending his evenings with other people. Even though he had spent the last few nights training with his father, he couldn't count that as doing something constructive and he didn't count his father as a person.

"Kade, is everything all right?" Anna asked as he escorted her back to her home. "You seem more tense and, I hate to say it, a little darker than normal."

"It's nothing," Kade smiled. "Don't forget to send me an invitation to the wedding. I'll be waiting for it."

"I won't."

The door opened and a tall, petite woman stepped outside and gave Kade a big smile. Her hazel eyes were soft and bright, her fine brown hair was pulled back into a loose bun, and her face showed no sign of age, even though she had to be over forty and approaching fifty.

"Well, hello, Kade," she said quietly. "I haven't seen you since before the war. How've you been?"

"I've seen better days, but I can't complain," Kade said politely. "And how have you been, Mrs. Rane?"

"How many times must I ask you to call me Joan? Mrs. Rane makes me feel like an old woman," Joan stepped inside her door and motioned for Kade and Anna to enter. "I have been doing really well lately. A little and nauseous tired most days, but still fit as a fiddle."

"Nauseous? Is there something wrong with your health?"

"This may come as a shock to you both," Joan went into the kitchen and poured some juice into three glasses and then handed two to Anna and Kade. "But I went to see the doctor about a month ago and he confirmed what I already suspected. I'm expecting."

The news was enough to make both Kade and Anna speechless. There had just been no warning for this kind of thing. Ever since Joan's last baby had died, she had expressed no desire to have another one and focused all her attention on raising Anna. Now, when she was nearing the older years of her life, the news was utterly shocking.

"But, Mom," Anna seemed to be thinking about her mother's age. "You're not exactly a young adult anymore. Are you sure you can handle it? I mean, you are quite fit, but raising another baby? Are you sure you could keep up?"

"Why should my age have anything to do with it?" Joan sounded slightly indignant at the insinuation that she was too old. "If anything, I am more prepared now to raise a child then I was when I had you. I'll be perfectly fine. Besides, with you married and off on your own, I won't have anyone to spend the day with when your father isn't home."

"Wow, Joan," Kade took a sip of juice to help calm his shock. "This is…unexpected, but I'm glad at the news. Lord Rane must be happy, he won't have to worry about you being lonely. Congratulations!"

Later that night, when Kade finally reached his room, he noticed his comlink blinking and reached to answer. To his relief, it was Reanna. When her face appeared, it looked vastly different from the last time he had seen her. Her eyes were puffed and red, she was constantly coughing and sneezing, and the colour of her skin was bordering on sickly green.

"What happened to you?" Ha tried not to laugh.

"If you _ever_ mention this again or give me a rose, I'll kill you!" she nearly sneezed her head off. "I ran into a bit of trouble here. I was held prisoner by an angry man, who thought I had stolen some jewels, escaped, ran into a girl who could be my twin sister, ran through a smelly tunnel and pressed a rose scented handkerchief to my nose and breathed in the vile stuff. The next thing I know, I'm coughing and sneezing up a storm."

"H-have you found someone to switch identities with?"

"You can laugh because you've never been allergic to roses and haven't had them flare up this bad."

"No. I'm allergic to silver. So, why have you called me? It can't be because you wanted to discuss allergies with me. What's up?"

"I found someone to switch with. So next time I communicate with you, don't be surprised if I've completely changed my look. I might be able to pass with her with a makeover. But without it, I wouldn't last a day."

"You don't have to go undercover, you know," Kade hoped she would listen to him, but knew it wouldn't be so. "There are other things you could do."

"I _could._ But that doesn't mean I _want_ to," Reanna began to curl her hair around her finger as she talked. "I know I can be much more of a help on the other side."

"Reanna, you are going to meet people and they are going to die," Kade noticed her eyes go dimmer as she he told her. "They are going to die maybe even by my hand. Are you ready for that?"

"Could anybody be ready for a thing like that?" Reanna threw back at him. "I just lost my entire family. I think I can handle this."

Reanna looked hard at Kade and didn't say a word for a little while. And when she finally did, she asked a question he had been hearing people ask him a lot lately.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes! I'm perfectly fine! There is nothing wrong with me!" Kade snapped irritated.

"Okay, okay," Reanna held up her hands in a submissive gesture. "I should probably let you get to sleep though. You look like you haven't slept well in days. I'll call you right before I get into the rebellion. Good-bye."

The transmission was severed and Kade couldn't help but wonder about why everyone thought he had something wrong with him. If he could've seen himself, he would know why everyone was always asking. The flecks of yellow in his eyes had grown into noticeable tinges, making it look like he had a terrible infection.

(^)

"Who was that?" Elanda knew who she saw, but had to be sure.

"It was no one. Just a friend," Reanna deleted Kade's number from her comlink. "He gets a little worried about me sometimes and likes it if I call to let him know I'm all right."

Elanda critically looked Reanna up and down and noticed she was slightly tense. Obviously, she didn't really want anyone to know she was in contact with the great Master Kade and was trying really hard not to panic at the thought that someone might have caught her.

"Listen," Elanda scratched the back of her head. "I know that this is all very weird that we look exactly alike, and I am just as curious about it as you are. But I think it would be best if we don't try to pursue the reason why."

"I don't have to pursue the reason," Reanna rubbed her forehead vigorously. "I know exactly why. Have you ever heard of a woman named Madam?"

"Bits and pieces. Mostly how she is leader of the rebellion and how she uses it to her own ends."

"She uses the rebellion as a cover for an illegal cloning operation. So far, I only know of two people she has cloned. Me and a random old man that can't remember his own name. She apparently has sent eight clones out into the galaxy that have my face, but were a little faulty and wouldn't do for whatever she wanted to use them for. I think you might be one of the eight."

"A clone," Elanda felt sick at the realization that her face was modeled after another person's. "It was nice to meet you. I have to go now."

She was gone before Reanna could even move.


	21. Chapter 21

Sweat was pouring from Striker's body as she slowly crawled through the air vents. She had disarmed the alarms earlier that day disguised as a mechanic and now she and Gence were slowly making their way to the archives room.

"The turn is just up ahead," Gence whispered. "I'll get you into the file, and then you have half-an-hour to read it. Don't try to find me and just get out when you hear the commotion!"

"Oh, shut up," Striker found the grate and started prying it up. "There won't be any problem with that. I'll be out of here before you can finish your job."

Striker quietly dropped onto the floor of the archive room and moved so Gence could have a clear place to land. He landed silently and started sat down at the main computer. Striker watched as his hands became a flurry of motion and a whole whack of data started flying across the screen. By the time it stopped, Striker was feeling dizzy from how fast everything appeared and could barely read the list of people that popped up on the screen.

"Now, I think everything is in order," Gence stood up. "I've got a job to do."

Striker sat down and started reading. The words were nearly a blur of information and Striker was learning more about her mother than she thought would ever be possible.

Tess Lisa Tanta had been instrumental to the rise of the Empire and after it was stable a stupid reporter uncovered the fact that Tess had been having a secret relationship with a man of a colourful background when she was betrothed to be married to another.

Scandalized, Tess shut herself from the galaxy and wasn't seen or heard from for three years. She emerged _only_ because it was demanded by the Emperor that she help with a civil war on an outer rim planet. The war had been terrible and more than a third of the population had died. The media had made Tess out to be the cause of all those deaths ruining her reputation forever.

Then when the baby had been discovered, she had vanished and was never seen since.

At least, that's where it had always ended in all the other databases she looked in. But this continued on and even showed a few pictures of Tess. The pictures were terrible and caused anger, hatred, and the dark side to start roiling around her and before she had any idea on what she was doing, she was in the Emperor's audience chamber trying to kill the Emperor with the lightsabre she had worked for months to build.

Gence had just finished setting up when he noticed something going terribly wrong. The Emperor suddenly tensed and then reached to push the panic button on the underside of his desk.

His hand didn't make it even close. A lightsabre came out of nowhere and sliced his hand off just below the wrist. A scream tore through the Emperor's throat as it came off and fell to the floor.

Gence felt a stab of anger and bit back an angry shout when he saw who the attacker was. Apparently, Striker hadn't been satisfied with waiting for him. He could see something was different about Striker and decided it would be best to lay low for a few minutes before taking action and revealing his presence.

"You gained your position through the sweat and blood of Tess Tanta and how did you repay her?" Striker's voice was cracking and broken. "Your most loyal supporter and you had her tossed aside like yesterday's massed tubers!"

The door on the far side of the room opened and Lord Rane entered. He took one look at the situation and drew his own 'sabre. Gence saw it was time to get involved and get Striker out of there.

He pointed his rifle at the window and fired. It shattered and everyone's attention was diverted for a minute, giving Gence enough time to get down from his perch in the shadows, grab Striker, force her out of her window, and then jump his self.

(^)

"Now what was that back there?" Gence spun around in his chair to face the girl who had remained silent the last week. "You nearly got us killed! Everything was going perfectly and you had to barge in and ruin everything! If it weren't for you, the Emperor would be dead and Master Kade would be taking up his place and this war would be ended within the year. But now, the only way for this to end is for the one side to be completely annihilated! Is that what you wanted? Because if it is, than you got it!"

"Oh, shut up!" Striker knew she was in the wrong, but wasn't willing to voice it. "You would have done the same thing if you had read files on how your mother lived to make something happen, and then get stabbed in the back by the person that made her believe in her cause! As I remember, you went on a bloody rampage when your brother was killed and then went on Spice! Don't sit there lecturing me about something you yourself had trouble with this kind of thing!"

Gence let go of the steering wheel and grabbed Striker by the shoulders. The look in his hazel eyes was bordering on murderous, and his grip was like iron and dug painfully into her skin.

"Don't talk about things you don't know, Striker Tanta!" Gence screamed. "You weren't there when Jeffery died! You weren't there when he was stabbed four times in the abdomen! You weren't there when he was nearly dead, and no one would help! You weren't there when I had his blood all over my hands!" a far away look crept into his eyes. "You weren't there when I had to dig my little brother's grave and lower his cold body into it! Don't you dare compare me to you!"

"Gence! The ship!" Striker pointed towards the consol and the planet they were approaching at a terrible speed. "Do something!"

Gence rushed over and tried to get out of harm's way, but the were caught in the planet's strong gravity field and he couldn't get out of it, no matter how hard he tried.

"Gence!"

"If I could do something about all of this, I would. So you might as well brace yourself for a nice crash!" Gence snapped trying to cover up his panic with anger. "Buckle in."

Striker gripped the arms of her seat until her knuckles turned white. She tried to remain calm, but she had never been in a crash before and this was truly terrified.

"Stay calm," Gence grasped her hand reassuringly. "It will be all right. We'll get through this just fine."

All air was forced from her lungs and she felt her head bang painfully up against something upon impact. All consciousness was lost between both of them and even after everything had turned black, their hands were still clasped tightly.

"So pretty… soon… dead…" Striker became aware of herself slipping in and out of consciousness. Her head, leg, and ribs throbbed with pain, but strangely, she felt that they were nothing compared to something else. A light breeze brushed over her face and she couldn't help but smile a little. It had been so long since she had felt one on her face and she couldn't help but relish it.

A small giggle reached her ears and she wondered why a child would be in a wreck. Her logical side suddenly kicked in. A child wouldn't and she couldn't feel breezes unless someone had taken off her mask!

"My mask!" she gasped and bolted up. "Where is it?"

"Wakey, wakey?" A small voice giggled and a tiny hand rested on her leg. "Lady wakey?"

A small red haired girl peeked over the top of the bed and gave Striker one of the biggest smiles ever smiled and then crawled up and sat down beside Striker. The little girl started spouting off long streams of gibberish.

"Jade, I told you to stay out of here!" an adult woman's voice sounded from the doorway of the white room she had found herself in. "I am so sorry about this. We just have so many children here, we can't seem to keep track of them all."

"I don't mind," Striker smiled. "I think she's sweet. She reminds me of another little girl I once looked after with a friend of mine," she suddenly remembered her promise to Mira about Gence. "The man I was with, is he all right?"

The woman brushed her mousy brown hair behind her ear and blew a long breath out.

"We've had him in the ICU ever since we found you two and he hasn't improved," the woman gave a weak smile. "We're doing all we can, but his illness doesn't help. As soon as the antidote we've given him kicks in, I'm sure he'll start to improve vastly. Now, how are you feeling? Any sharp pains?"

"No."

"Good. Your husband is in bad enough condition without you being the same."

"Gence is not my husband!" Striker was a little shocked at the insinuation.

"My husband!" Jade squealed happily.

"He is just a very good friend."

"Good friend!"

"Jade, shush! May I have your name please? And the name of your good friend?"

"Gence Starrider and I'm- I'm his sister, Lona Starrider."

(^)

Mira frowned in frustration as she looked at the notes before her. She had waited one whole week on Raxin for Mianna to show up and nothing had happened. So she thought that she might have missed something in the notes, but so far she hadn't seen anything to indicate she was supposed to go to a certain place, or be there at a certain time.

"What could I be missing?" She tossed all the papers up in the air and let them fall scattered everywhere. "What?"

Whatever it was, she didn't have time to sit around waiting for it to become clear. Going from place to place or even staying in one cost a lot of money, and she couldn't get the money if she didn't do another job soon. She knew of one that would be easy to pull off and would still pull in a tidy sum that would last until Striker finally decided to give the signal.

"_Starlight_ to traffic control. Requesting permission to take off."

"Stand by, you will be able to take off in approximately ten minutes."

"Not bad," Mira said happily to herself. "I might be able to make good time today. I love this life."

Hours later, she was cruising along minding her own business and tactfully trying to avoid the imperial ships in front of her, when they suddenly fired on her with deadly accuracy and knocked out the engines and shield generator.

"Oh! Blast! What did you go and do that for? I wasn't doing anything! You'd better be able to replace those or you won't have only me to deal with, but a hot-headed, bounty-hunter who cares so much about her ship, she would probably kill you and me if she saw what you just did to it!" Mira turned on the transmitter to try and get the imperials to converse. "You guys have a lot of nerve firing on me!" she let her anger control her tongue. "There is no legal reason for that course of action! If you wanted to talk to me, all you had to do was ask! Now you had better be able to replace the things you just destroyed or there'll be hell to pay!" She ended her end of the one-sided talk.

The imperials didn't reply and Mira felt her anger grow even stronger towards them. She could barely wait for her ship to be settled enough and her ramp to be lowered to start spouting off her complaints and indignation at this terrible treatment.

Mira made sure she had all her weapons for show and her golden eye patch was in place. It seemed that the more noticeable she made her handicap, the more people thought that it was only for show. People's reactions when they actually saw the condition of her eye.

"OH! What in the blue blazes was that?" Mira smiled when she heard someone's reaction to the levers. This was the one time she was actually glad about those annoying things. She opened the hatch and dropped out.

"Those, my friend, are the _Starlight_'s burglar defence," Mira heard a few startled gasps in the crowd of people around her. "Now who is in charge, and why did he order to fire on me."

"I am in charge here," Mira felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end when she heard the smooth, slick voice. "And I fired on you, because I am placing you under arrest for conspiracy to assassinate Emperor Arkins."

There was no way to prepare anyone for the blow that connected with her head in the next moment. It was so hard, she felt herself stagger until she crashed into someone. And that was the last thing she knew for hours after.

(^)

The changes were made and she was in. Reanna looked around the dull room she had been assigned and sighed. She hated the new look she had been forced to take. Her hair was dyed black, and her eyes still hurt from being dyed gray. She couldn't say it didn't suit her, though. She had noticed a few of the young men glancing over at her, and then turning back and blatantly staring at her.

Her commanding officer, General Adam, had turned out to be one of the worst when it came to staring at her. It was almost as if they hadn't ever seen a woman before. But then, she knew there were other woman, because she had seen them standing off to the side. Reanna couldn't help but notice how most of them looked like they didn't sleep at all.

One glance around her room and Reanna knew she would be sharing it with someone else. There were a few personal articles here and there and one of the two rooms had the door closed.

She walked over to the open door and peeked in to see if it was hers. From the mess inside, it belonged to her roomy. Clothes were strewn everywhere and the bed was in terrible shape. Reanna stepped away and went to the room with the closed door.

It opened and Reanna found it was as bare as a plain on Tatooine.

_What nice living accommodations! _She though gloomily to herself._ I can just tell it is going to be the best few months of my life. At least, I hope it will only be a few months._

"Hi, I'm Lindy," one of the woman sat down at Reanna's table and shook her hand warmly. "Don't pay any mind to how unfriendly everyone seems. They are always wary about new comers. Especially with your kind of, eh-hem, background. Once you've been here for a while and fought with us a few times, they'll warm up to you. But a little word of warning, don't let General Adam within breathing distance of you. He's like a predator just waiting for some pray to pounce on."

"Hey, Lindy," a dark haired man sat down beside her. "Who's your new friend? I don't believe I've seen her around here before."

"I'm Meena. I just got here today."

"Well, then, welcome. A little piece of advice, no matter how many people tease you, do not go through initiation! You will regret it for the rest of you life if you do."

"I'll be sure to remember that," Reanna smiled. "Thank-you for the advice."

Maybe being in the rebellion wouldn't be so bad.

**The End**

Yes, this is the end. Thank-you to all my supporters and I think you guys are awesome! The next story is going to be posted sometime in September because I'm going to be really busy all of August.

Some of you may have noticed how Striker gives the name Lona Starrider and that is also my user name. To be honest, Striker's real name has been that for far longer than I have been on and I only used it because I couldn't come up with a better idea. I am in no way like Striker and never will be.

About scenes I didn't show, I either couldn't make it work in the story without making it too boring, or I just thought it would be easier to leave it to the readers imagination. Though I am working to write a series of short stories about those events.

Reanna Senona Starfield, Kade Arkins, Miranda/Mira, Striker, and all the rest belong to me and I want to leave it that way. I do not own Star Wars in any way.


End file.
